Finally, Court Nullifies Rivers local Government Council Election

A federal high court in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Lambo Akambi, this morning nullified the election of the 22 local Government council chairmen and councillors organized by the Professor Augustine Ahiazu led Rivers State Independent Election Commission, RSIEC, during the administration of Chibuike Amaechi.
Justice Akambi 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. He noted that RSIEC and the state government was directed not to go ahead with the election but the order of court was fragrantly disobeyed.

With the judgement, the 22 local government council chairmen who are all members of the All Progressives Congress have been sacked. It would be recalled that when RSIEC planned to conduct the election at the twilight of the immediate past administration in May, the state PDP challenged the election through a court injunction but RSIEC claimed the order of court did not affect it, so PDP boycotted it.

RSIEC led by Prof Ahiazu had earlier been sacked by Governor Nyesom Wike and reconstituted it.

The Federal High court in its judgement said it had to defend and protect democracy by nullifying the election.

Wike, a lawyer, had vowed to sack the council chairmen and councillors because they were elected illegally but would wait for case to run its full course.