IYC Endorses Rivers LGA Elections, Warn IGP, Rivers Police Commissioner Not To Interfere
By Rejoice Egbaseimokumor
The Umbrella body covering all Ijaw Youths under the auspices of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has endorsed the Rivers State Local Government Elections scheduled to hold today.
This was contained in a statement signed and issued to newsmen in Warri earlier today on behalf of council by Amb. Binebai Yerin Princewill, Spokesman Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspapers Worldwide.
While calling for the conduct of peaceful local government elections in Rivers State, the IYC had warned that the Inspector-General of Police and the Rivers State Police Command must not interfere in the process by preventing the conduct of the elections today.
The statement reads in full below:Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide
Press Statement
5/10/2024
IYC Endorses Rivers LGA Elections, Warn Police Not To Infer
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has endorsed and called for the conduct of peaceful elections in Rivers State, warning that the Nigeria Police Force should not attempt to play politics with the Local Government elections in Rivers State.
The Nigerian Police Force should not be seen as an interested party in the Rivers State Local Government Elections that will be holding today the 5th of October 2024. The police is not in any position to decide when the state Government and its electoral body should or should not conduct Local Government elections in Rivers State.
IYC has not forgotten how His Excellency, Siminalaye Fubara, Governor of Rivers State who is an illustrious Ijaw son was attacked by Police Officers in Rivers State who fired water canons and the terrifying, terrible and terrific teargassing of Governor SIM in October 2023. This to all reasonable Nigerians is the highest height of humiliation that any Governor and his people can take and from that time till this moment, the top hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force did not take any action against the said Police officers, no reasonable statement nor did the Police render any form of apology for their unprofessional and questionable action.
However, we begin to wonder what is the Police really doing in a state where even the Governor has been attacked by the Police. At this point, the police has no locus standi to talk about maintaining law and order in Rivers State because events and the activities of the police in recent times is already making Nigerians doubt the efficiency, capability, credibility and professionalism of the Police in Rivers State.
Nevertheless, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should hold the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police responsible if anything happens in Rivers State Local Government Elections scheduled to hold in the state today.
Moreover, the Ijaw people will not seat and fold their hands to watch the Police and other individuals carryout their plans to further undermine the Governor of Rivers State who is the chief security officer of the state. We are beginning to feel that the Rivers State Police Command is gradually becoming a political party and a political tool or organ in Rivers State.
Since the police cannot be seen providing security for the election, they also do not have such powers to stop the Rivers State Local Government Elections, the police is a respected institution in this country hence officers must not give the Police Force a negative image by indulging on questionable activities like what the Police is doing now in Rivers State.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, IG Kayode Egbetokun and others will see the full wrath of the Ijaws if anything dares to happen to His Excellency, Siminalaye Fubara, Governor of Rivers State since the police has fired teargas and water canons on the Governor before. The entire Ijaw nation is fully with Fubara who is doing excellently well as Governor of the State and we are very proud of him. Attack against Governor SIM is an attack on the progress of Rivers State, democracy and Ijaw nation.
Finally, the case of Governor Fubara conducting local government elections in Rivers state should not be different, it is the right of the Governor of any state to foresee the conduct of local government elections through the state electoral umpire. The people of Rivers State should go out and vote peacefully.
Signed.
Amb. Binebai Yerin Princewill, Spokesman Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide.
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