As the battle to control Rivers State’s political power structure moves into a different dimension, a high court sitting in Abuja has issued an interim injunction mandating the maintenance of the status quo with regard to the extension of tenure for elected local government officials.
The opposing camps are led by Governor Sim Fubara, who controls the Executive arm, and Nyesom Wike, who has continued to tighten his grip on the control of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Elections have not been planned, but each camp is already vying for control of the 23 local council seats whose terms expire next month.
Fubara’s camp is opposes any legislation that the Wike-controlled Assembly is trying to pass that would extend the tenure of council chairs in the state. This tussle has resulted in a legal action.
On Thursday April 25, 2024, after hearing the plaintiff’s lawyer Aliyu Hussein’s application for an interim injunction to compel the state government to abide by the amended Local Government Law Number 4 of 2018, which extends the tenure of elected chairmen and councillors, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, denied the application.
Justice Omotosho in a brief ruling, ordered that all parties in the suit should maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The Judge warned that no party should take any step that would make the motion on notice nugatory.
Part of the ruling read: “The plaintiffs are hereby ordered to serve the motion on notice seeking for interlocutory injunction on the defendants to enable them have the opportunity to respond to same.
“That this matter is adjourned to May 2, 2024 for the hearing of the motion on notice.”
