Politics
Supreme Court judgment: You can’t decide who run Rivers LGs – Wike’s aide dares Fubara
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike’s Special Adviser on Public Communication, Lere Olayinka, has said Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State can’t decide who runs the affairs of local governments in the state.
Olayinka said the Nigerian Constitution and the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy states that only democratically elected Chairmen and councillors can run local governments and not state governors.
He was reacting to Fubara’s directive that all the chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas of the State should hand over to the Heads of Local Government administration immediately.
Fubara gave the order in a bid to enforce the Supreme Court judgment that sacked all local government chairmen in the state.
On Friday, the Supreme Court, in its judgement, delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, had declared as invalid the election conducted on the 5th October 2024 through which, 23 Chairmen emerged as winners with 319 councillors.
But, in a state-wide broadcast on Sunday, Fubara said the heads of Local Government administration will take charge and conduct affairs of the councils pending the conduct of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
Fubara said: “I have had a meeting with my team of lawyers and they have assured me that the certified true copy of the judgements may be available to them by Friday 7th March, 2025.
“I assure you that upon the receipt of certified judgements, we shall study their ramifications and implement them without reservations to move the State forward.
“Furthermore, given the outlawing of Caretaker arrangements in the Local Government system, I hereby direct the Heads of Personnel Management to immediately take over the administration of the 23 Local Government Councils pending the conduct of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
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I further direct the outgoing Local Government Chairmen to formally hand over the levers of power to the Heads of Personnel Management by Monday, 3rd March 2025.”
Fubara assured that the Supreme Court judgment would be obeyed.
Governor Fubara stated that since inception his administration has conducted the affairs of government within the framework of the constitution, due process and the rule of law.
Reacting, Olayinka said the constitution allows the Rivers State House of Assembly to extend the tenure of the democratically elected local government chairmen and councillors.
In a chat with Ekwutosblog , Olayinka said: “Governors can no longer direct or order who should run Local governments and who should not.
“It is a clear provision of the Constitution of Nigeria and the Supreme Court judgment on LG autonomy that ONLY DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED Chairmen and Councillors SHALL run Local Govts.
“It is, therefore, the duty of the Rivers State House of Assembly to extend the tenure of the democratically elected Local Government Chairmen and Councilors whose tenure expired.
“They are the only ones with constitutional rights to run the Local Councils, not anyone directed by the governor.
“Section 135(3) of the 1999 Constitution even empowers the National Assembly to extend the tenure of the President in the event of inability to hold elections.”
FCT Minister and former governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, has said that any senator, House of Representatives Member, Minister, or governor who supports betrayers will suffer betrayal in their lives and that such person will join their creator when they experience their own betrayal.
Wike who is currently in a running battle with his godson and incumbent governor of Rivers state, Sim Fubara, said this while speaking at a public function in the state today February 6.
Speaking to the crowd at the public function, Wike said
‘’Wether you are a Senator, House of Reps member, a Minister or Governor, and you support betrayers, people will continue to betray you in life. You see people who betray and support them, betrayal is your portion! Betrayal is your portion! and that day you will not have mouth to say anything and there you will collapse and there you will go and they will announce such person has died because that is the seed you have planted because whatever you plant, you reap and so since you are sowing betrayal, betrayal will always follow you.
Watch! Every governor who is doing his second term and has ambition to put a successor and is supporting betrayals, you will never survive it. Betrayal will follow you. From the day your successor comes in. My own took so many months, your own will start immediately the person has been inaugurated. That is what the gods of the land have told me to tell all of you’’
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUdaCp1jD01/?igsh=MWVnZXoyaGNmOGJ5dA==
Chairman, Policy Manifesto Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, John Odigie-Oyegun, says former president Muhammadu Buhari gave him the shock of his life, six months into his administration as Nigeria’s leader.
Oyegun made this disclosure on Friday when he featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.
He revealed that as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he went to tell Buhari that he was not delivering his election promises to Nigerians but that the late president told him he would not rule with strictness, but rather wanted to show Nigerians that he is a true civilian president.
The former APC National Chairman lamented that it became business as usual, from there.
“I was national chairman of the APC. Six months or less into our assuming office, fairly alarmed, I went to the late President Buhari for a one-on-one talk. I said Mr President, this is not what the people were expecting. They wanted a bit of the old president Buhari.
“And he explained to me, Mr Chairman, I have learned my lesson. I was shocked. And don’t forget at that time, a lot of prominent Nigerians took their holidays abroad, just to be sure and see what this new sheriff in town will be.
“Buhari told me he wants to now show the people that he’s a true civilian president in Agbada. And by the time we finished the conversation, I said Oh God, we are finished. Because, if he’s not ready to be strict, what’s the point?
“Weeks later, months later, years later, I was proven correct. And of course, it became business as usual, only that they are a new set of tenants in Aso Rock. That was a shocker,” he said.
Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye Esq, has raised concerns over the Senate’s reported rejection of the electronic transmission of election results.
The move, according to Melaye, is a clear endorsement of election rigging and an indication of a sinister plan to rig the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Friday, the former lawmaker criticized the Senate’s decision, stating that it undermines the credibility of the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain, also stated that the move opens the door for electoral manipulation and fraud.
He further warned that the rejection of electronic transmission of results is a step backwards for democracy in Nigeria.
Melaye called on lawmakers and citizens to stand up against “this blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people and ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent”.
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