By Davies Iheamnachor

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has called on its members and the general public to boycott the local government council elections scheduled for tomorrow, October 5.

The party also warned Governor Sir Siminialayi Fubara against proceeding with the elections in defiance of a Federal High Court ruling.

Rivers State PDP Chairman, Chukwuemeka Aaron, made the statement in Port Harcourt, emphasizing that no one should participate in the elections as they go against the court’s judgment. Aaron urged residents to disregard any announcements regarding the polls, stressing that conducting the elections would be in violation of the law.

He reaffirmed the PDP’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and stressed that neither the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) nor the state government has the authority to selectively obey court orders.

“The PDP, after reviewing all the cases surrounding the local government elections, concludes that we cannot support or promote lawlessness, even though we are the ruling party in Rivers State. The court judgment must be fully respected, and we cannot choose which court orders to obey and which to ignore,” Aaron stated.

He urged Governor Fubara, a member of the PDP, to comply with the Federal High Court’s decision and suspend the planned elections. Aaron praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for adhering to the court’s ruling by not releasing the Voters Register to RSIEC, a key requirement for the elections.

“We thank INEC for standing by the truth and complying with the Federal High Court’s judgment. They have made it clear that the Voters Register was not provided to RSIEC. We also commend the Nigerian Police for upholding the court’s ruling,” Aaron added.

He warned that announcing election results despite the suspension would be seen as a provocation and an invitation to violence, stating, “Any attempt to declare results from an election that should not take place will be considered an act of lawlessness and will not be tolerated. There will be no local government elections in Rivers State on October 5, as ordered by the court.”

The PDP urged residents to stand firm in defending the rule of law and ensuring full compliance with the court’s decision.