JUST IN: Court stops tenure elongation for Rivers LGA chairmen

The Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has ruled against the six-month tenure elongation of the state’s local government executive chairmen by the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, saying it is unconstitutional and of no effect.

The court added that the Local Government Law No.2 of 2024, whose provisions extended the tenure of local government chairpersons, is 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 stipulated a three-year tenure for local government chairpersons and councilors.

The court’s judgment is for a case filed by Enyiada Cookey-Gam & 6 Ors vs. The Governor of Rivers State & Ors.

Justice D.G. Kio, the presiding judge, in his judgment, declared that Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024, which extended the chairmen’s terms by six months, was antagonistic 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 local government chairpersons and councilors remained three years, as fixed by the 2018 law.