Rivers : CUPP Faults Tenure Extension For LG Chairmen

Opposition Parties in the House of Representatives under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) have faulted the tenure extension for Rivers Local Government chairmen.

The spokesperson for the opposition lawmakers, Ikenga Ugochinyere, voiced the position of the lawmakers at a news conference in Abuja.

The lawmaker explained that the tenure of Local Government chairmen is expected to end in a few weeks, but was extended without recourse to due process.

He faulted the fact that Gov. Siminalayi Fubara’s veto of the chairmen vacating their office was overridden.

Ikenga said it was difficult for the House of Assembly members to override the governor because they would still send whatever bill they have on the subject to him for assent.

“Assuming without conceding that the Rivers House of Assembly sent the law to the Governor, the Governor has 30 days within which to assent to the law or withhold his assent.

“And it can only be at the expiration of the 30 days that the House of Assembly can conclude that the governor has withheld assent”, he said.

According to him, the development was an “invitation to anarchy and an attempt to sabotage the Presidential peace accord signed by the lawmakers with legitimacy questions”.

Similarly, he urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct Bye-Election for the replacement of the lawmakers who already defected from PDP to APC in Rivers.

Ikenga said the ongoing legislative crises rocking Rivers State House of Assembly had created constitutional crisis.

According to him, CUPP is already mobilising towards the National Assembly takeover of legislative functions of Rivers State House of Assembly in line with extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji