The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has declared the six-month tenure elongation of the state’s local government executive chairmen by the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly as null and void, unconstitutional and of no effect.
The court further declared the Local Government Law No.2 of 2024, whose provisions extended the tenure of local government chairmen as invalid.
The court ruled that the law was inconsistent with the 1999 constitution and section 9 (1) of Rivers State Law No. 5 of 2018 which fixed three-year tenure for local government chairmen and councilors.
The court gave the judgement in a case filed by Enyiada Cookey-Gam & 6 Ors vs. The Governor of Rivers State & Ors.
The presiding judge, Justice, D.G. Kio, in his judgement, declared that Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024, which extended the chairmen’s terms by six months was in conflict with the 1999 Constitution and Section 9(1) of Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018.
The court affirmed that the lawful tenure for the chairmen and councilors remained three years, as stipulated by the 2018 law.
The judge stressed that any attempt to extend the tenure was unlawful and violated the officials’ oath of office.
Source: The Nation
