Pro-Wike Ex-Chairmen Stage Protests In Rivers

• The protest by the pro-Wike former LGA bosses is coming despite an advisory against protests issued by the Rivers police.
• They held posters with inscriptions urging the police to continue occupying the council headquarters.

The former council chairmen from 21 of 23 LGAs in Rivers protested today in their respective council areas.

Rivers is embroiled in a political crisis over the tenure of local government chairpersons.

Onengiyeofori George, a former chairman and his followers marched through Buguma, the council headquarters of the Asari-Toru LGA, gyrating to songs in solidarity with Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT)

They held posters with inscriptions urging the police to continue occupying the council headquarters

Some of the inscriptions read “Sim Fubara Can’t Continue to Act As He Likes” and “There’s No Vacancy in Asari-Toru Council”.

The protest by the pro-Wike former LGA bosses is coming despite an advisory against protests issued by the Rivers police.

Recall that the Rivers police command asked the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to suspend its planned protest.

On Saturday, Clifford Paul, president of NULGE in Rivers, had given Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, a four-day ultimatum to order officers to vacate the 23 LG secretariats in the state.

The 23 LG secretariats have been barricaded by the police.

Paul had said the police siege at the LG headquarters has prevented NULGE members from accessing their offices.

In a statement issued on Sunday night, Grace Iringe-Koko, police spokesperson in Rivers, said the command received intelligence of a possible hijack of the protest.

“The police command respects the right to lawful assembly but has received credible intelligence indicating potential infiltration of the planned protest on Monday,” the statement reads.