The Thursday Nullification of the local government election hurriedly conducted by the out-going Governor Chibuike Amaechi administration in Rivers In Rivers has deflated the hope and optimism of the elected chairmen and Councilors that their election held seven days to the exit of that administration would stand.
It also further cast shadow of uncertainty and spell of confusion in the fouled air of the state politics as the loosing All Progressives Congress(APC) ,no thanks to the court nullification, vows to fight on and is seen by may as a successful continuation of some of ex- governor Amaechi’s obnoxious legacies.
This dismantling process included the sack of over 350 polytechnics staff engaged less than one month to the Amaechi administration, the re-instatement of the state University of Science and Technology teachers who were equally denied nearly two years salaries in a maze of bitter politics and the promise to pay their missed salaries.
The Wike administration has also been fighting to clear other political and economic booby traps strewn on his path to the brick House.
The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt , had nullified the election of chairmen and councilors of 22, out of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, which was organized by the Professor Augustine Ahiazu-led defunct Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC)
The nullification of the May 23, 2015 election of the local government officials, by the Court, presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi, followed a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urging the INEC not to release the Voter’s Register to RSIEC for the conduct of the local government election and as it also objected the conduct of the polls.
In his judgment, Akanbi averred that the conduct of the election that produced the 22 local government council chairmen is not only illegal but an affront on the court because the matter was pending in court, noting that RSIEC and the state government were directed not to go ahead with the election but the order of court was fragrantly disobeyed.
Ealier, the embattled 22 local government chairmen in the state, under the auspices of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), in the State chapter had withdrawn they suit they filed before the Federal High Court, against Governor Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The local government chairmen had approached the court, were seeking an injunction to restrain the state lawmakers and Wike from dissolving them, insisting that dissolving the democratically elected local government council will be contrary to Section 7 of the Amended 1999 Constitution.
They also sought for an injunction restraining the Accountant-General and the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission from releasing any fund meant for the local government council to any person or body other than the democratically elected council chairmen in Rivers State.
Before then, the elected council Chairmen, and APC had maintained that the election was constitutional and would stand since the part of the electoral law being cited by the two had been amended by the state legislature under Amaechi.
Members of the Public and watchers of development in the state’s Politics , also raised eye brows as the why Amaechi who had for the better part of his second tenure , had been making profuse use of Care-taker Committee chairman , suddenly awaken to the propriety of organizing election a week to his exit as governor.
They also underlined their criticisms over the impropriety of the election by pointing out that no time was allowed for complaints and redress, no trained ad hoc staff , while the hush- hush primaries that preceded the election were enclosed and kangaroo, negating the principle of popular expression.
In a swift reaction to the Judgement,The APC said it was surprised and sad at Justice Akanbi’s ruling despite his earlier ruling to stand down the matter until the appeal questioning the jurisdiction of his court is determined by the Appeal Court from October 12,
‘’What the Justice Lambo Akanbi, did this morning, was to hand out ruling on a matter that was awaiting a decision of the Appeal Court.
‘’Without any hearing notice to parties except, perhaps, to the PDP, Justice Akanbi presiding over Federal High Court 1 in Port Harcourt commenced sitting this morning and quickly handed down a ruling in respect of a matter between PDP and other parties including the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission [RSIEC] voiding the election of 22 Local Council Chairmen and Councillors in Rivers State. He claimed to have earlier ordered that the elections should not hold’’
‘’However, that position by Justice Akanbi is far from what transpired in the matter.
The truth of the matter remains that there is a pending appeal on the substantive case in which same Justice Akanbi on the 29th of April gave as reason for adjourning the matter sine die until the appeal is dispensed with beginning from 12th October. How come Justice Akanbi decided to bring forward the matter without even serving hearing notices to the parties? Why does Justice Akanbi want to ambush and foist on the Court of Appeal a situation of hopelessness? What business does Justice Akanbi have in reopening the matter other than fragrant display of judicial rascality?
It is important to re-iterate here that APC applied to join in the matter which the Judge turned down and APC immediately proceeded to appeal that refusal to be joined and that appeal is also pending. Why has Justice Akanbi acted in a manner aimed at frustrating that appeal?
‘’We APC is not bound by the court ruling handed down today by Justice Akanbi because APC duly applied to join in the matter and when the learned Justice refused the joiner application, the party proceeded to appeal that refusal, an appeal that is still pending at the Court of Appeal’’, the party stated.