The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, has passed a resolution urging the suspension of the upcoming Local Government Election, citing a judgment from the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Assembly plans to communicate this decision to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) via a strongly worded letter. This development follows a protest organized by members of the Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, which occurred at both the Department of State Security (DSS) office and the Government House in Port Harcourt.
During the protest at the DSS office, PDP representative Aron Chukwuemeka stated that the primary goal was to oppose the Local Government Elections scheduled for October 5.
In contrast, the Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Victor Oko-Jumbo, has insisted that the Local Government Election should proceed as planned, in line with the rule of law and existing judicial support for the electoral process.
Assembly Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo reiterated this position during a plenary session on Thursday, aligning it with the stance of the Executive Arm of Government and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. He emphasized the need for establishing a properly elected political leadership at the local government level in the state.
The Local Government elections are set to take place on October 5, 2024.