COURT NULLIFIES THE SIX MONTHS TENURE ELONGATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMEN IN RIVERS STATE.

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 Martin Amaewhule led House of Assembly as null and void, unconstitutional and of no effect.
The court further declared the Local Government Law Number Two 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 nine, paragraph one of Rivers State Law number five 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 and six others versus Rivers State Governor and others. The presiding judge, Justice D.G. Kio in his judgement declared that Local Government Law Number Two of 2024, which extended the Chairmen’s terms by six months was in conflict with the 1999 Constitution and section nine, paragraph one of Rivers State Local Government Law number five of 2018.
The Court affirmed that the lawful tenure for the Chairmen and Councilors remain three years as stipulated by the 2018 law.
The judgement stressed that any attempt to extend the tenure was unlawful and violated the official oath of office.