The political crisis in Rivers State took a new dimension on Saturday as twenty-one out of the twenty-three former Local Government Chairmen announced plans to resume office on Monday, March 3.
Sunday Telegraph gathered that the development follows a Supreme Court judgment on Friday, February 28 which recognized the Martins Amaewhule-led legislature as the authentic House of Assembly in the state.
The former Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Samuel Nwanosike, on Sunday made this known in a viral video.
He said, “By the judgment of the Supreme Court, I am still the chairman of the LGA because the Rivers State House of Assembly extended our tenure by six months.”
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However, this development contradicts a recent Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the local government elections conducted on October 5, 2024, due to violations of the Electoral Act.
The court declared the elections void, highlighting issues such as the continuation of voter registration after the election date was announced.
The Amaewhule-led House of Assembly had, in April 2024, extended the tenure of the former chairmen by six months, citing Section 9(2) of the Rivers State Local Government Law 2024.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, however, refused to assent to the bill and appointed caretaker committees in June 2024 to oversee the councils until newly elected officials were sworn in on October 7, 2024.
Attempts to reach some of the former chairmen for comments were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to calls and messages.
The situation has led to mixed reactions from various stakeholders. Immediate past Governor Nyesom Wike hailed the Supreme Court’s judgment, stating it marked the end of impunity in the state.
In contrast, Governor Fubara expressed intentions to evaluate the judgment’s implications carefully before determining the next steps.
As the political landscape in Rivers State continues to evolve, all eyes remain on the developments following the Supreme Court’s recent rulings and the actions of the involved parties.
