Rivers State LGA Chairmen Clash Over Police Takeover of Secretariats

Rivers State has been embroiled in a dispute over the tenure of Local Government Area (LGA) chairmen, leading to a police takeover of LGA secretariats and clashes between supporters of opposing political factions.

The crisis began when the tenure of the LGA chairmen expired, prompting youths to occupy council secretariats and demand the chairmen’s departure. The chairmen, backed by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had their tenure extended by six months through an amended Local Government Law. However, a Rivers State High Court nullified this extension, declaring it inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.

Despite the court ruling, some chairmen vowed to remain in office, leading to tensions and clashes with youths supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Fubara, who directed the chairmen to hand over to Heads of Administration, raised alarm over plots to crack down on his supporters.

The situation escalated when youths pulled down an image of Nyesom Wike at the Obio-Akpor local government secretariat, highlighting the deep political divide. A police officer and a vigilante were killed in the clashes, prompting the Rivers State Police Command to take over all 23 council secretariats and critical government infrastructure to forestall further bloodshed and maintain law and order.

The police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, urged all groups and individuals to be law-abiding and warned against causing mayhem, while reassuring law-abiding residents and visitors to go about their lawful businesses without fear.

The crisis has brought to the forefront issues of tenure elongation for local government chairmen and the legitimacy of 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members, with calls to respect the rule of law and avoid unnecessary crises. The situation remains tense, with the police maintaining a presence at the council secretariats to prevent further violence.