The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has dismissed two appeals filed by former local government chairmen loyal to Minister Nyesom Wike, seeking to extend their tenure.
The appeals were struck out due to lack of merit on Monday, July 8.
The 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, the immediate past governor of the state, extended the tenure of the local government chairmen. However, the state high court derecognised the lawmakers, and the governor subsequently declared their action null.
Earlier, the state high court validated the action of the state government after upholding the de-recognition of the pro-Wike lawmakers.
According to Leadership, the chairmen’s tenure had elapsed last month, and they were challenging the lower court’s decision.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly has been divided into two factions, one loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the other to Minister Wike.
The Fubara-led faction screened and confirmed a commissioner nominee, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara.
The Wike-led faction, on the other hand, gave a seven-day ultimatum to the governor to present the 2024 budget proposal.
They argued that the governor’s failure to present the budget was a breach of the Constitution and extant laws.
The House resolved to give the governor seven days to present the Appropriation Bill or face consequences.
The political tensions in Rivers State continue to escalate, with both factions at loggerheads over the budget and other issues.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that the Rivers state political crisis between Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, may cost the governor his second-term ambition.
Governor Fubara appeared to be winning the battle at some points and bragged about his strength of being in charge of governance in the state.
However, Fubara may be another one-term governor in Nigeria’s politics since 1999 based on three factors emerging from the political crisis between him and his predecessor.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
