The Port Harcourt division of the Court of Appeal dismissed two appeals on Monday, both filed by Local Government Chairmen loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike. The court cited a lack of merit as the basis for its decision.
The dismissed appeals, identified as CA/PH/137M/2024 and CA/PH/145M/2024, were brought forward by Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam along with six other appellants. They challenged the rulings of the lower court concerning the extension of the council leadership tenure.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the appeals did not satisfy the necessary legal standards and thus struck them out.
At the heart of the dispute was an amendment to the local government law spearheaded by Martin Amaewhule-led lawmakers, who are loyal to Nyesom Wike. This amendment extended the tenure of 23 local government chairmen by an additional six months beyond the originally scheduled expiration date in June.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, however, refused to assent to the Bill that included this amendment. In response, the lawmakers chose to override the Governor’s veto and passed the Bill into law.
This legal tussle has highlighted the ongoing power struggle and political dynamics within the region, underscoring the tensions between the current administration and loyalists of the former governor.
