Tension heightens in Rivers over planned dismissal of elected LG chairmen, councillors

The recently elected local government chairmen and councillors in Rivers State yesterday warned that alleged desperation by Governor Nyesom Wike to dissolve the councils is not in the best interest of the state.

The 23 council chairmen, operating under the aegis of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State chapter, said the governor would be violating the law of the land should he make good his threat to  dissolve the councils at all cost.

A high court in the state has already restrained the governor from moving against the councils, but tension has heightened in the state following speculations that the Governor is keen on having his own supporters in control of the local governments which are currently being manned by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Mayor of Port Harcourt and ALGON Chairman, Chimbiko  Akarolo, insisted yesterday that Wike cannot bend the law to remove them from office.

He said the way Wike is going about the annulment of their election is capable of sparking a breakdown of law and order in the state.

Akarolo urged President Muhammadu Buhari and other well meaning Nigerians to intervene before the matter gets out of hand.

“To tell you how desperate Wike is, he has already selected caretaker committee chairmen to replace us. We were democratically elected by our people and any action against the legitimate will of the people is unjust,” he told The Nation in Port Harcourt.

He added: “Rivers people cannot afford to experience bloodshed like the sham called the governorship election in the state.”

Chairman, Emohua Local Government, Lucky Worluh  asked Wike to respect the law as the case is already in court and accused the governor of going all out to obliterate the achievements of his predecessor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.