The political crisis in Rivers State has taken a new turn as 22 local government chairmen elected under the administration of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi have declared their intention to reclaim their offices.
The chairmen, who were elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, claim they are the legitimate leaders of their respective councils following a recent Court of Appeal ruling that reinstated them.
The controversy began in 2015 when a Federal High Court nullified their election, paving the way for their removal after Nyesom Wike took over as governor. Since then, they have been locked in a legal battle with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), seeking to reclaim their mandates.
In a media address on Tuesday, the chairmen in Port Harcourt said that the recent court ruling had restored their positions and that they were now prepared to resume control of the 22 local government areas.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Benson Imie, former chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, explained that the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt had ruled in their favour on Friday, February 28, 2025. He stated that the appellate court had set aside the 2015 judgement of the Federal High Court, which had initially annulled their election.
According to Imie, the Court of Appeal ruled that the removal of the elected chairmen violated their right to fair hearing, as guaranteed under Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution. The court also determined that their election was conducted without any legal obstacles.
Imie emphasized that the legal victory means they are now the rightful occupants of the local government offices. He pointed out that, at the time of the Appeal Court’s ruling, the council positions were not vacant, which prevented the court from issuing direct reinstatement orders.
Recall that on the same day, February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court nullified the election of council chairmen who had been installed on October 5, 2024. The apex court ruled that their election was conducted in violation of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) laws.
Imie argued that this sequence of events has now created a power vacuum in the 22 affected local government areas. He said that since their removal in 2015 was deemed unlawful by the Appeal Court, they should be allowed to take over and complete their tenure.
Meanwhile, Reginald Ukwoma, the former chairman of Etche Local Government Area, said that they do not require a fresh swearing-in ceremony.
Ukwoma said, “We don’t need swearing in again. We have been sworn into office, we cannot take another oath of office. At the moment, we will wait to receive the Certified True Copies of the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court judgements. Then, we will know when to resume office.”
