Sixty members of the 10th Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives have raised alarm over the alleged move to use the Federal High Court to legalize the extension of Local Government chairmen’s tenure in Rivers State.
The alleged move was also contemplating freezing the Local Government accounts in the State.
These federal lawmakers, belonging to opposition political parties, made public the alleged move in a statement issued in Abuja by its spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere.
In the statement, Ugochinyere claimed that they received credible intelligence of such a plot, and determined to use the Federal High Court to secure a secret exparte order.
The export order will attempt to legalize the extension of the about-to-expire tenure of LGA Chairmen in RivStatetate.
These lawmakers said the plot was being perpetrated by former members of the State House of Assembly.
These same State lawmakers, the statement said, lost legitimacy as lawmakers when they decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They had also tried to illegally amend Sections of Law No. 5 of 2018 to extend the tenure of elected Local Government chairmen in Rivers State.
The federal lawmakers explained that they were raising the alarm given the legitimacy of the desperate move,l.
They said if the move was not halted, could lead to anarchy and the collapse of constitutional governance.
As opposition lawmakers, they warned not to take lightly any move to extend the tenure of the about-to-be-expired LGA chairmen under any guise or method,l
The federal lawmakers insisted that the monthly allocations of Rivers State LGAs can not also be stolen using a court order.
They, therefore, called on the eminent judges of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to beware of the alleged plot, saying that allowing such would throw Rivers into crisis.
The federal lawmakers are also appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a NADECO member and Democrat to call to order those persons who were pursuing their selfish and greedy ambition by illegally using his name to destabilize constitutional activities in Rivers State.
In part, the statement reads, “We have received credible intelligence of a plot to use the Federal High court to secure secret expertise that will attempt to legalize the illegal extension of the about-to-expire tenure of LGA Chairmen in Rivers state which was carried out by the former members of the state assembly who has lost legitimacy as lawmakers the very moment they decamped to APC knowing fully well that there was no crisis in PDP hence their seat as lawmakers became vacant immediately the remaining legitimate members declared the seats vacant.
“We are raising this alarm given the legitimacy of the desperate move which if not halted can lead to anarchy and collapse of constitutional governance.
“We want to call on the Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Justice Omotasho, and other eminent judges to be aware of these plots that those behind it are already celebrating and that the exparte order is in their pocket awaiting release to the media even when the case has not been heard.
“To our respected Chief Judge, Hon Justice John Terhemba Tsoho. We are compelled to publicly bring this shocking development to your attention in the interest of justice and the preservation of the image of our nation’s judiciary.
“Few days ago we received credible intelligence that a suit was filed on behalf of Abuja-based former House of Assembly members in rivers whose seats have been declared vacant over their decampment to APC even when there was no crisis in PDP but still parading as lawmakers and changing laws in the middle of the night from the corner of the hotel rooms in Abuja and Emoha LGA were they are gathered and made to make legislative announcement without the legitimacy or due process to do so.
“Our Dear Chief Judge Hon Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, we wish to inform you that this strange suit which our intelligence has shown is alleged to have been filled at the registry of the Federal High Court will be assigned to Justice Omotasho who is expected to issue an injunction legalizing the illegal amendment and extension of the tenure of the about to expire LGA Chairmen in Rivers to keep them in the office with their tenure extended without an election is a great aberration and risk capable of tarnishing the image of the judiciary.
“We are lawmakers have great respect and confidence in the federal high court to nip these developments in the bud if still active.
“We are confident that these men of unimaginable desperation touting the name of respected judges in their bear parlor gossip are out to ruin the respected names of judges of the federal high court and the court must be careful in handling such obnoxious application which wants to carry out a judicial cum legislative coup against democracy by extending the tenure of local government chairmen whose tenure is about to expire without allowing the constitutional democratic electoral process to take place.
“The desperation of these Abuja-based former lawmakers and their penchant for any action that is illegitimately propelled us not to take the intelligence lightly hence the need to draw the attention of our respected judges to these alleged emerging developments that must be crushed at all cost for the sake of image of our judiciary.
“For those who don’t know both in the judiciary and the entire country, let us state it clearly.
“The crux of the matter is that the former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly whose seat in the assembly was declared vacant came out from hiding one day and announced an illegal amendment to the Rivers State local government area laws and unilaterally without the legitimacy carried an extension of tenure of the LGA chairmen which is about to expire and said they can be in office as long as required without any tenure again or election process as the basis for holding such office. this was a legislative coup, legislative madness, and a usurping of the process for constitutional democracy.”
