Court invalidates tenure extension for Rivers local govt chairmen
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has declared the recent tenure extension for local government chairmen in the state invalid.
The ruling was made on Tuesday, annulling Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024, which had extended the chairmen’s terms by six months beyond their original tenure,Vanguard reports.
This legislation was passed earlier this year by 27 lawmakers allied with the Minister of Federal Capital, Chief Nyesom Wike, amidst a political crisis. The law extended the three-year terms of the local government chairmen by an additional six months.
However, the court ruled that this extension was inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution and Section 9(1) of Rivers State Law No. 5 of 2018, which sets the tenure for local government chairmen and councillors at three years.
The judgment was delivered by Hon. Justice D.G. Kio in suit number PHC/1320/CS/2024, a case brought by Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam and six others against the Governor of Rivers State and others. Justice Kio held that Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024 conflicted with the constitutional and legal provisions governing local government tenures.
Justice Kio stated that the lawful tenure for local government chairmen and councillors remains three years as stipulated by the 2018 law.
He said that any attempt to extend this tenure was not only unlawful but also violated the officials’ oath of office.
