The headquarters of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area on Moscow Road was on Tuesday engulfed in gunfire as youths supporting Rivers Governor Sir Siminialayi Fubara occupied numerous council headquarters.
The youths seized these offices to prevent local government chairmen and other elected officials from returning, protesting against their attempts to extend their tenures beyond the June 17 expiration date. These officials, aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, had cited a new section of the local government amendment law, although this section was recently nullified by the State High Court. Despite this, the chairmen claimed the law remained valid while under appeal.
In Port Harcourt City, pro-Fubara youths clashed with heavily armed police who tried to disperse them. The police reportedly fired shots into the air to scare off the demonstrators, who had set up canopies and plastic chairs.
One of the protesting youths, speaking anonymously, described their actions as a peaceful demonstration against Allwell Ihunda, the former local government council chairman who refused to vacate his office. He claimed that police began shooting at them.
“We are Ijaw youths here for a peaceful demonstration against those whose tenure has expired. We are not here to make trouble, but the police started shooting at us,” he said.
Ichemanti, a youth leader, claimed that one protester was shot by the police. However, Rivers Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko denied that the police were responsible for the gunfire, stating that officers were deployed to restore peace.
In Obio-Akpor, Wike’s local government area, hundreds of youths led by Amb. Ihunwo Chijoke, a Fubara supporter, took over the council’s secretariat, singing and drumming in solidarity.
Similar scenes occurred in Eleme, where youths seized the council’s secretariat and alleged that their chairman had fled to Canada. Pro-Fubara youths also occupied councils in Oyigbo, Ahoada East, Emohua, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Asari-Toru, Ogu-Bolo, and other areas.
In Emohua, a youth asserted, “This council does not belong to Chidi Lloyd. It belongs to all of us. We haven’t had electricity for three years. We are calling on the governor to integrate our council into his political movement.”
The governor has reportedly compiled a list of Interim Management Team (IMT) members for the local governments, which will be forwarded to the lawmakers for screening and confirmation. A source from the Government House mentioned some IMT chairpersons, including Promise Reginald for Omuma, David Omereji for Emohua, Darlington Orji for Ikwerre, Evans Bipi for Ogu-Bolu, Ihunwo Chijioke for Obio-Akpor, and Orolosama Amachree for Asari-Toru.