Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has instructed the outgoing Chairmen in the state to relinquish their positions to the Heads of Local Government Administration.
Journalist101 reports that on Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed the 23 local government chairmen elected in Rivers State and subsequently ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to withhold the local government allocations due to the state.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, the apex court upheld an appeal from the All Progressives Congress (APC), overturning the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal’s ruling from 21 November 2024, which had validated the elections.
In delivering the lead judgement, Justice Jamilu Tukur noted that there was inadequate evidence to show that the requirements set out in section 150(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 had been fulfilled before the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted the elections.
The Supreme Court reinstated a prior ruling from the Federal High Court in Abuja that prohibited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the voters’ register to the RSIEC for the local government elections.
However, in a statewide broadcast on Sunday, Governor Fubara directed the Chairmen to hand over their duties to the Heads of Local Government Administration on Monday, March 3, 2025, pending the organisation of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
He also urged the populace to remain calm, emphasising that while they may disagree with the court’s ruling, it is essential to respect the judgement.
