Jonathan Nwokpor
A fresh issue involving the 23 council chairmen’s tenure is developing in Rivers State.
This comes immediately after Muhajid Asari Dokubo, the former militant warlord and commander of the Niger Delta, requested that the local government chairman “go home quietly” when their three-year term was up.
According to ZINGTIE, Governor Siminalayi Fubara gave the chairmen, supported by Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, instructions to resign when their terms were up.
They declined, nevertheless, saying that the pro-Wike side of the Rivers House of Assembly had extended their term.
The Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly changed the law to permit the LG chairman to serve further terms of six months in light of Fubara’s purported inability to organize local government elections.
Speaking at the Port Harcourt Eid-el-Kabir celebrations in 2024, Asari Dokubo pointed out that it is against the Nigerian Constitution to prolong the chairmen’s term.
He emphasized that the former chairman could not unilaterally violate their oath of office and expect it to be recognized in order to extend their term in office.
The former chairmen were warned by Asari Dokubo, popularly known as the Edi Abali of Kalabari country, not to incite the wrath of what he called the “people’s power,” as doing so could have dire repercussions for them.
He said, “Local government tenure has expired today, June 17, 2024. They should quietly go home. If they want to seek re-election in accordance with the constitution, they should do so.
“But there is no tenure elongation in the constitution. Their position is tenure-bound and that tenure has expired. Let them not cause unnecessary problems for the people of the state. And I want to advise young people: look, don’t allow yourselves to be used.”
He continued, “Only one man can be governor of Rivers State at a time. We would not have two governors at a time. The people of Rivers State are bigger than Muhajid Asari Dokubo. Rivers State is bigger than any individual. No individual can take Rivers State people for a ride and pocket us. It is not possible.
“Most of us (them), their (our) children are not here, and their children have never come out to stand in front of any protest. They’re not like Mandela and his children or me and my children or any other person. A lot of people have not done this. So, nobody should be allowed to be used.
“The people are showing people’s power. The people have gone on their own to take over local government secretariats because it is about the people, and nobody can say that we voted for three years’ tenure for a chairman and the chairman should exceed one second of that tenure.
“So, the people of Rivers State are exercising their power, and they are ready to take over until the government is ready to conduct a new election,” Asari concluded.
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