Former local government chairmen in Rivers State have issued a stark warning to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, threatening to resume office if he does not comply with a recent Supreme Court judgment prohibiting the use of caretaker committees to manage council affairs. The former chairmen, aligned with the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, made their position clear during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Dr Chidi Lloyd, the former Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, voiced the group’s frustration, highlighting their patience in awaiting the governor’s compliance with the court’s decision. Lloyd accused Governor Fubara of continuing to work with caretaker committee members across the 23 local government councils, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Lloyd warned that the governor’s defiance could lead to unrest in the state, urging the national police authority to intervene and halt the activities of Fubara’s caretaker committee chairmen. “The Governor of Rivers State has continued to act as if the state is parallel. The essence of this conference is to say that we are not cowards; if this continues, we will go back to our local government and force ourselves into the councils,” he stated.
He continued, “We have kept quiet because of the kind of leader we have who continues from time to time to preach the path of peace. We are still the same ones that elected him into office as governor when his local government produced less than 5,000 votes. If this continues, we will exacerbate the already exacerbated situation.”
The Rivers State Police Command had previously taken control of the local government headquarters of the 23 councils amid the crisis over the tenure of the chairmen. The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had declared that the police would maintain their presence until a court of competent jurisdiction resolved the matter.
This development underscores the tension between the state’s executive leadership and local government stakeholders, reflecting broader issues of governance and adherence to judicial rulings in Nigeria.