Former Rivers LGA chairman insists on tenure elongation

The former chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Samuel Nwanosike, has insisted on tenure elongation for LGA chairmen in the state.

Earlier on Tuesday, Nwanosike took over the entrance to the council secretariat in Isiokpo.

Despite his tenure as LGA chairman having elapsed, Nwanosike insists on maintaining his position until the Appeal Court issues a ruling.

Nwanosike claims that the appellate court had directed that the status quo be maintained pending the hearing of the case between Martins Amaewhule and others versus factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo.

DAILY POST learnt that the former council chairman, however, left the council premises, following a directive from the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, that the Ikwerre LGA Council should be sealed.

The tenure of the LGA chairmen ended on Monday, June 17, 2024.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in accordance with the law and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, directed that all Heads of Local Government Administration in the state’s 23 LGAs take charge of the councils starting from Tuesday, June 18, 2024, to ensure that the administrative vacuum left by the departing LGA chairmen is promptly filled.

The former LGA chairmen, who are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, had their tenure extended by an amended Local Government Law Number 5 of 2018 by the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly headed by Amaewhule.

However, the extension was nullified by a Rivers State High Court ruling on May 21, 2024, which declared the Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024 as inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.