Court Nullifies Election Of Rivers LG Chairmen, Councillors

                            

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt yesterday nullified the election of chairmen and councillors of 22, out of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, which was organised by the Professor Augustine Ahiazu-led defunct Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC)

This is as an explosion suspected to be dynamite rocks the Federal High Court complex, located along Station Road, Port Harcourt, shortly before the commencement of sittings by various judges of the High Court.

The nullification of the May 23, 2015 election of the local government officials, by the Court, presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi, followed a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urging the INEC not to release the Voter’s Register to RSIEC for the conduct of the local government election.

In his judgement, Akanbi averred that the conduct of the election that produced the 22 local government council chairmen is not only illegal but an affront on the court because the matter was pending in court, noting that RSIEC and the state government were directed not to go ahead with the election but the order of court was fragrantly disobeyed.

LG Chairmen Vow To Disobey Ruling

Meanwhile, embattled chairmen of the 22 local government councils in Rivers State, under the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) have vowed not to obey the judgement which nullified their election.They insisted that there is an existing order from the National Industrial Court, which restrained dissolution of the councils that were elected on May 23, 2015,

Wike Swears In Caretaker Committee Chairmen

But Governor Nyesom Wike has sworn in the chairmen and members of Caretaker Committees of the 23 local government councils of the state.

The swearing in ceremony, which took place at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt, came barely one hour after they were screened and cleared by the Rivers State House of Assembly.