Rivers: Opposition lawmakers kick against extension tenure for LG chairmen

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

A Coalition of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives, has kicked against the extension of the tenure of local government chairmen in Rivers State by the State House of Assembly, few weeks to expiration of their tenure

The member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, told journalists, that the move was unacceptable to the opposition and all lovers of democracy.

Ugochinyere, who described the action of the Rivers State House of Assembly as “democratic coup”, said the development capable of leading to anarchy in the state. ,

The lawmaker noted that the members of the Rivers Assembly, who sat to take the decision, are by law no longer legislators, having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP), on whose platform they were elected into the House, to the All Progressives Congress ( APC).

Consequently he called on President Bola Tinubu to call his party members in the Rivers state House of Assembly to order. Ugochinyere threatened that opposition lawmakers will initiate moves for the House of Representatives to take over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, if the crisis in the assembly persits.

According to him, “it is difficult for one to justify that local government chairmen that their tenure is about to expire in a matter of weeks; that you can make a law to extend their tenure. Such tenure extension is something that can lead to anarchy. It is unacceptable and cannot be enforced.

“The tenure extension for Rivers State local government local government chairman is legislative rascality and a, coup against democracy that is dead on arrival. Because you cannot change the goal post at the middle of the game…

“And now the local government chairman will now stay in office beyond their tenure, that is unacceptable and that will lead to crisis. That is what we don’t want and that is why we are calling on the President to call those his party members are former members of the House of Assembly to order before they blow up Rivers.”