A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Onueze Chukwujinka Okocha, has called on the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to obey the court ruling on the October 5 local government election in the state.

On July 19, 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a restraining order preventing the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from providing security during the Local Government Election.

Additionally, on September 30, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment that again prohibited the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from participating in the Local Government Election.

Despite the rulings, Governor Fubara vowed that the election would be held as planned. However, police authorities in the state said they would not participate in the exercise.

Weighing in on the matter on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Okocha warned that problems could mar the election as the police would comply with the court order by not providing security for the exercise.

“The way forward is for the State Independent Electoral Commission, the Governor of Rivers State represented by the Attorney General of Rivers State to obey the order of the court,” he said on Friday.

“INEC has said that we have not given them register, we will not give them in compliance with the order of the court. The Inspector General of Police speaking through the police spokesman in Rivers State has said we will obey the order of the court and will not provide security for the election.”

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Leave Wike Out

Okocha, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also called on political actors and stakeholders to stop heating Rivers polity.

He argued that a former Rivers State governor and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has nothing to do with the crisis rocking the oil-rich state.

“The Minister of the FCT is not a party in this case. Why should anybody be calling his name? The issues involved are issues of law and have nothing to do with personalities.

“The parties involved are institutions – All Progressives Congress (APC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Attorney General of Rivers State, Government of Rivers State and the State Security Services.

“People should move away from parochialism and casting aspersions on individuals to score cheap political points,” he added.