Wike's stature destroyed during the protests


Today, Tuesday June 18 dawned in Rivers State to see angry youths loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara  in a smoothly coordinated operation chasing out from their offices, some of the LGA chairpersons who refused to hand over to their  Heads of Local Government administration in their respective councils.


 Gov Fubara had in an early morning broadcast directed Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) to immediately take charge of their respective councils and await further directive


The leader of the youths in a video circulating on the social media said they took the action to close the chapter on the political leadership of Wike in the State. The police have since restored order in the State and taken over the offices.


Uneasy calm now reigns in the State.


With the Court restraining the Amaewhule-led Assembly and now the expiration of the tenure of the LG administration, it appears Gov Fubara is gradually gaining the upper hand in the tussle between him and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory


A four-member House of  Assembly, led  by Victor Oko-Jumbo is now recognised as the defacto legislature.


The  tenure of the LG administration expired on June 17. They were elected under former governor Nyesom Wike and regarded as his loyalists.


Gov Fubara earlier, had at a function recently reminded the council chairmen that their days in office are numbered.


The dramatic sacking of the LG bosses began early in the week when the ousted Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and his 24 colleagues, addressed the media to warn that the Assembly, referring to himself and his colleagues, would not accept a list of caretaker committee members.


It would be recalled that it was the Amaewhule’s faction of the Assembly that amended the Local Government Law to extend the tenure of elected chairmen and councilors by six months if elections were not held before the end of their term.


However, the amendment was nullified by a High Court judgment, following a suit filed by the council chairmen of Opobo/Nkoro and Bonny.


The pro-Wike chairmen faced further setbacks when a State High Court restrained Amaewhule’s group from acting as lawmakers and nullified their legislative actions.


The last straw that seems to have broken the camel’s back was the recent Appeal Court ruling which refused to vacate the order of the lower Court which restrained Amaewhule and his colleagues


In a reaction the Chief of Staff to the development, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Edison Ehie said: “Now that the HLGAs have taken over with NULGE, they will now await further directives from the governor"