The Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has issued an interim injunction directing the maintenance of status quo following the move by the Martin Amaewhule-led State House of Assembly to extend the tenures of the elected local government councils’ officials.
Recall that the Assembly amidst the political crisis rocking the state amended the Local Government Law Number 5 of 2018 which empowers the House of Assembly through a resolution to extend the tenure of elected chairmen and councillors, where local government elections are not held before the expiration of their three years in office. According to a report by the Nation Newspapers, the suit was filed by the Chairman of Opobo-Nkoro, Enyiada Cookey-Gam; Bonny, Anengi Claude-Wilcox; and five other elected council officials.
They are challenging the decision of the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly to extend the tenure of local government areas. The court, presided over by Justice G.N. Okonkwo also ordered that the claimants would enter into an undertaking to pay the defendants, N5 million if the substantive case turned out to be frivolous. The court fixed April 22 to hear the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.