Protests broke out at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, as tensions escalated ahead of the October 5, 2024, local government election. A large crowd of protesters gathered at the party’s secretariat, prompting security personnel to intervene and manage the situation, including controlling traffic disruptions in the area.

The protests stemmed from mounting concerns over the delay in the release of the 2023 Voters' Register by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). This delay followed a ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 30, 2024, which barred INEC from releasing the voters' register due to ongoing legal disputes.

Despite the court’s ruling, Governor Siminalayi Fubara insisted that the election would proceed as planned. He expressed confidence in a prior Supreme Court ruling that requires all states to have democratically elected local government officials, reinforcing his stance to move forward with the election.