July 08, (THEWILL) – The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has dismissed the suit challenging the ruling of a Rivers State High Court which nullified the tenure extension of 23 elected local council chairmen in the State.
THEWILL recalls that a State High Court in Port Harcourt had in May, declared Section 2 of the Rivers State Local Government Law No.4 of 2024, which extended the tenure of the elected council officials by six months after the expiration of their tenure, unconstitutional, null, void and inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Ruling on the suit filed by the chairmen of Bonny and Opobo/Nkoro local government areas, Justice Diaketima Kio held that the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly overreached itself and that its actions were contrary to the provisions of the amended Nigerian Constitution.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the judgment, the appellants, Hon. Enyiada Clifford Cookay-Gam (Executive Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area) and six others, had in a suit No: CA/PH/145M/2024 approached the Appeal Court.
In a judgment on Monday, a three-man panel of the appellate court upheld the ruling of the High Court and dismissed the appeal for lacking merit.
