There is tension across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State as the tenure of the council Chairmen expired on Monday.
There is uncertainty in the state with many fearing the break out of open violent confrontation between supporters of the chairmen and those in support of the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The local government chairmen have been enmeshed in the political conflict between Governor Fubara and his political godfather and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The palpable tension stems from some of the council chairmen reported to be boasting that they would not leave at the expiration of their three-year tenure.
It was gathered that the council gates of Asari Toru, Akuku Toru and Degema have been locked by youths demanding that their local government chairmen quit.
Similarly, police vans were sighted blocking the entrance gates of Port Harcourt City LGA at Bank road, Obio Akpor LGA gate at Rumuodomaya, Ogu/Bolo LGA and Ahoada East Local government areas.
There have also been viral video clips showing youths stating that they have mobilised to confront some of the chairmen who have vowed not to vacate office.
The youths in the video threatened to confront by any means any of such chairmen mentioning particularly the chairman of Ikwerre local government area.
Owing to the uncertainty, some notable elders in the state have appealed to the youths in the state not to portray any act capable of creating crisis in any local government council.
Against the rising tension in Rivers over the Monday’s expiration of the tenure of the local government councils, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that there can be no tenure elongation for them as the 1999 Constitution (as amended) has no room for it.
Speaking exclusively to the Nigerian Tribune, on Monday, the national publicity secretary of the main opposition party, Debo Ologunagba, maintained that there is a fixed tenure for the council which has been completed.
Citing the provision of the constitution, he wondered whether any house of assembly has the powers to extend the tenure, stressing the PDP’s belief that the rule of law must be followed.
Recall that some outgoing local government chairmen loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have insisted that their tenure has been extended by six months through the amendment of the Rivers State Local Government laws and therefore, they are not ready to give up their office.
Speaking on the matter, the PDP national spokesman maintained: “We believe in the Constitutional provision of three years. That’s what the Constitution provides. It’s not what we wish. It’s what the Constitution says. “We believe in the constitutional provision that says the tenure of local government councils is three years.
“It’s not about what we believe. That’s the provision of the Constitution.”
The PDP national publicity secretary said the party took cognizance of the ongoing court cases concerning the Rivers State local government councils, noting that why the party may not be able to say much on the matter, it believes that when tenure expires, the occupants of the offices must vacate them to enable replacements to be chosen.
“We are a country of law and the constitution and procedures. If there is a tenure expiration, it follows that the occupier of that position will have to leave at the expiration of that tenure,” Ologunagba said.
“If the tenure has expired, there is a process to have new occupiers of those positions to continue,” he added.
On the insistence of the outgoing Rivers State local council officials to remain in office, the PDP spokesman declared: “We are not a banana republic and of course, tenure elongation is not recognized by the Constitution and it shouldn’t be so.
“So, we would expect that the process of the law would be followed. That’s our expectation.”
Also speaking on the alleged anti-party activities of the national vice chairman (South-South) of the PDP, Dan Orbih, who is alleged to have denied his support to the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming Edo State election, Dr Asue Ighodalo, Ologunagba said that the PDP will explore its internal processes if need be.
Asked what the party will do over the alleged anti-party activities, he said: “Our party is a party of rules, of process, of procedure. If there are allegations of anti-party, we will investigate and if found to be true, we will follow our rules on what to do with that.”
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