Fubara orders Rivers LG bosses to hand over, says fresh election will be conducted

Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, has asked elected local government chairpersons in the state to hand over to LGA administrators.

In a statewide broadcast on Sunday, Fubara said the civil servants will take over the operations of the 23 LGAs pending when fresh council elections would be conducted.

The Rivers governor said the government is aware of Friday’s judgments of the supreme court about the political crisis in the state.

Fubara said although his administration disagreed with the apex court’s judgments, “we are bound to obey the orders made therein as a law-abiding government”.

He said his administration would study the judgments after obtaining the certified true copies (CTCs).

“Accordingly, I have had a meeting with my team of lawyers, and they have assured me that the certified true copy of the judgments may be available to them by Friday, 7th March 2025,” the governor said.

“I assure you that upon the receipt of certified judgments, 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 local government administration 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.

“I further direct the outgoing local government chairmen to formally hand over the levers of power to the heads of local government administration by Monday, 3rd March 2025.

“Although our dear state seems to be back in trying times, I urge everyone to remain calm and peacefully go about with their legitimate daily activities as we continue to do everything in our power to advance our responsibilities to the citizens.”

On Friday, the supreme court gave rulings that were not favourable to the faction of Fubara in the Rivers political crisis.

The political crisis in the state is connected to the feud between Fubara and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

THE SUPREME COURT VERDICTS

On Friday, the supreme court nullified the local government election held in Rivers state on October 5, 2024.

The apex court overturned a previous judgment delivered by the court of appeal in Abuja on November 21, 2024, which upheld the election results.

In its lead judgment delivered by Jamilu Tukur, the apex court held that there was no evidence to show that the conditions set out in section 150(3) of the Electoral Act had been met before the state electoral commission conducted the polls.

On September 30, 2024, Peter Lifu, a federal high court judge, stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC.

The judge also restrained the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security agencies from providing security during the polls.

However, a special panel of the court of appeal led by Onyekachi Otisi ruled that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.

The panel held that matters relating to LGA elections should not have been brought before the high court.

The apex court also affirmed the judgment of a federal high court that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the accountant-general of the federation from releasing statutory monthly allocations to Rivers state.

The supreme court also ordered the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers state house of assembly and other elected members of the house to resume sitting.