Escalation of Wike, Fubara’s Power Tussle in LG Councils

The power tussle between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalaye Fubara of Rivers State was escalated in the 23 local government councils in the state last week, following the expiration of the tenure of the local government chairmen. What the current situation looks like, is that the minister may have lost his much-cherished political structure in the state, Ejiofor Alike reports

With the expiration of the three-year tenure of the chairmen of the 23 local government areas in Rivers State on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, the immediate-past governor of the state and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara have shifted their power tussle to the local government councils.

In a strategic move to stop Fubara from replacing the elected local government chairmen who were Wike’s loyalists, with caretaker committees comprising his own loyalists after the chairmen’s three-year tenure, the members of the sacked Martins Amaewhule-led state House of Assembly, who were also Wike’s loyalists had enacted the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024, which extended the tenure of the chairmen by six months.

But in a counter move, Fubara’s loyalists challenged the lawmakers’ decision in court and Justice D.G. Kio of a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt declared the six-month tenure extension as null, void, unconstitutional, and of no effect, on the grounds that it was inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution and Section 9 (1) of Rivers State Law No. 5 of 2018, which fixed a three-year tenure for the chairmen and councillors.

However, despite the court judgment affirming the three-year tenure as stipulated by the 2018 law, the elected chairmen had vowed that they would not vacate offices when their tenure expired on June 18, 2024.

Indications of a potential breakdown of law and order emerged when the outgone Chairman of Ikwerre LGA, Samuel Nwanosike, in a now-viral video, threatened anyone to dare remove him on the said date, insisting that he would remain in office in accordance with the law enacted by Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.

He blamed what he described as Fubara’s failure to conduct local government elections for the tenure extension.

The state chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) led by the then Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Allwell Ihunda, had also at a press conference in Port Harcourt, insisted that the state lawmakers had extended their tenure because the governor failed to conduct LG elections.

The audacity of the now-former chairmen to challenge the authority of the governor and resist the state high court judgment had led to a build-up of tension in the state.

The perceived act of insubordination by the former chairmen also earned public sympathy for the governor as many people argued that the state was the only state in Nigeria where serving lawmakers and local government chairmen could abuse their governor publicly.

It was not surprising that armed youths who were engaged in the protection of oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta trooped out from the creeks in their large numbers to force the chairmen and their supporters out of their offices when their tenure expired on Tuesday.

In a viral video where armed youths belonging to one of the groups were trooping out of the creeks, their leader who later identified himself as ‘General Gab Asabuja’, the Ogidigbo of the Niger Delta, was heard saying that they were back from the river ahead of June 18, to deal with council chairmen that would refuse to vacate their offices.

“We are back to take over all the 23 local government councils. So, the council chairmen should wait for us. We are coming,” he said.

He said it was his hobby and business to work with the government to fight crime.

Source: This Day