Tension dey rise for Rivers state, Southern Nigeria afta di govnor announcement on top di mata wey concern local government chairmen.

Rivers State govnor Siminialayi Fubara on Tuesday morning order heads of local goment administration to take charge of di administration of local goment councils for di State.

Di govnor give di order for State wide broadcast following di expiration of di tenure of di local goment chairmen on 17 June, 2024.

Di State broadcast dey come afta some local goment chairmen allegedly refuse to leave dia office, wey make some youths go block some local goment council secretariats.

Some security agents also block oda LGA council secretariats to stop any gbege wey fit happen.

Dis na also becos some local goment chairmen dey ginger say dem no go comot afta di Martin Amaewhule led state assembly bin amend di Local government law to extend di tenures of di LGA Chairmen by six months.

But one State high court for Rivers State nullify dat law say e no dey in line wit Nigeria constitution.

Justice Daketima Kio declare di Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024, wey di provisions extend di tenure of local goment chairmen, invalid.

E give di judgment for case wey Enyiada Cookey-Gam, former chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LGA and six odas file against di Governor of Rivers State and odas.

Di judge rule say di law dey inconsistent wit di 1999 constitution and section 9(1) of Rivers State Law No. 5 of 2018, wey fix three-year tenure for local goment chairmen and councillors.

Di judge stress say di attempt to extend di tenure dey unlawful and violate di oath of office wey di officials take.


Political crisis in Rivers state

Di political crisis for Rivers State start wit di attempt of some lawmakers for di State House of Assembly wey try to impeach oga Fubara for October 2023.

Dis move divide di House into two factions - wit 27 lawmakers led by di den Speaker, Martin Amaewhule wey reportedly dey loyal to di former Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. While four odas led by di den leader of di House Edison Ehie declare dia loyalty to Governor Siminialayi Fubara.

For December 2023, Martin Amaewhule and 26 odas defect from di ruling Peoples Democratic Party to di opposition All Progressives Congress party.

Dis make di remaining four lawmakers to elect Edison Ehie as di new Speaker and declare di seats of di lawmakers wey defect vacant as dem claim say e dey inline wit di Nigerian constitution.

Efforts to bring peace between dem lead to one agreement wey President Tinubu broker between dem and e ask govnor Fubara to recognise Martin Amaewhule as Speaker even though e don defect, and for di defected lawmakers to dey hold sittings and carry out legislative duties for any place wey dem like.

Wit dis, di Martin Amaewhule led lawmakers come begin amend some parts of di State laws like di Local Goment law wey extend di tenure of di local goment chairmen by additional six months afta dia tenure expire.

Dis and many oda laws dem amend attempt to weaken di powers of di Executive and transfer am to di legislature, like to dey appoint Head of di legislative staff among odas.

On February 2024, di govnor say di Martin Amaewhule led lawmakers no dey exist for law and e no recognise dem again.

Dis make di remaining three lawmakers to elect a new Speaker after Edison Ehie resign (in line with di peace deal) to become Chief of Staff to di Governor and Victor Oko Jumbo wey dey represent Bonny State Constituency later become di Speaker of di Rivers State House of Assembly.

Both parties, dat is - Martin Amaewhule and Victor Oko Jumbo camps - get case for Court, both at di Federal and State levels and even at di Court of Appeal. Dem dey ask di courts to determine weda or not Martin Amaewhule and di 26 lawmakers wey defect still be valid members of di Rivers State House of Aseembly.

Speaker, Victor Oko Jumbo bin get injunction from a State High Court wey give order for Martin Amaewhule and di 26 not to parade demsefs as lawmakers again following dia defection.

Martin Amaewhule and di odas carry di matter go on appeal and di Court of Appeal for Port Harcourt say on di matter of appeal on CA/PH/198/2024, make di parties maintain di present status quo and make nobody take any further steps pending di hearing of di appeal

E fix hearing on di appeal for 20 June, 2024 as notice of hearing go don dey served before di date.

As to di main cause of di political crisis, Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, say di reason behind di crisis between former Governor, Nyesom Wike and Governor Fubara na say some few politicians want "exclusive control of di State resources."

Ehie tok dis one during thanksgiving service for di Supreme Court victory of di Governor for Ahoada East Local Goment Area, and e warn say di Governor dey capable of teaching im opponents a political lesson.

“Di problem we get for di state na say 11 pesins say dem go control di resources of Rivers State. Dis 11 pesins now call 20 odas to allocate resources to demsefs,” e allege.

Currently, all di 774 local goment for Nigeria dey under di control of di state govnors as dia federal allocation dey come through di state goment accounts.

For May 2024, di federal goment drag 36 state govnors go court sake of local goment autonomy.

Di office of di Attorney-General of di Federation and Minister of Justice file di court case so local goment go fit dey independent.

Wetin di federal goment dey ask make di court do be say make dem stop state govnors to dey comot democratically elected government executives.

Also, make di court stop di joint accounts by state governors so dat local goment go fit dey collect dia federal allocation directly from dem.

Federal goment dey also ask make di court stop state goment from setting up caretaker committee instead of di one wey dey democratically elected for di local goment.

Wetin di constitution tok about local goment

According to di constitution of Nigeria, di local goment get dia own powers and structure.

Section 7 of di constitution say democratically elected local goment council go dey and any attempt by state goment to sack dem and put caretaker na breach of di constitution of di kontri.

For 2023, di Senate bin ask make federal goment to stop to dey allocate money to local goment wey dey under di control of caretaker committee instead of di democratically elected council.

Since some states still dey appoint caretaker committee to take ova local goment affairs while sacking di democratically elected executives, di federal goment say na violation of di Nigeria constitution.