As the three-year term for elected local government chairmen in Rivers State ends, the day has sparked significant political unrest. This chaos is mainly due to the growing conflict between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The trouble reached a peak after a fire broke out at the Rivers State House of Assembly on October 30. This incident deepened the divide within the Assembly. Twenty-seven members supported Speaker Martin Amaewhule, while four sided with Edison Ehie, the former Deputy Speaker. Ehie was later replaced by Victor Oko-Jumbo, which only widened the rift.
In the midst of this turmoil, Amaewhule’s group in the Assembly changed the Local Government Law to extend the term of elected chairmen and councilors by six months if elections were not held on time. However, this change was overturned by a High Court ruling after the council chairmen of Opobo/Nkoro and Bonny filed a lawsuit, arguing that the extension was illegal.
Chairmen who supported Wike faced more problems when a State High Court barred Amaewhule’s group from acting as lawmakers and nullified their legislative decisions. The situation got worse with a recent Appeal Court ruling that upheld the lower court’s decision against Amaewhule and his supporters. Despite this, Amaewhule and his 24 colleagues held a press conference on the same day, stating that their Assembly would not accept any list of caretaker committee members.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara recently reminded the local government chairmen that their term is ending, hinting that changes are coming soon. Political observers are now waiting to see what the governor will do about the leadership of the 23 local government areas amid the ongoing chaos.
The political scene in Rivers State remains tense as different groups fight for control and power. The end of the local government chairmen’s term, combined with the unresolved conflict between Governor Fubara and former Governor Wike, has created a highly unstable situation.
