The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed appeals filed by Cookey-Gam & Ors on the elongation of their tenures as Local Government Chairmen in Rivers State.
The tenures of the LG Chairmen have been a subject of controversy following an amendment by the Rivers State Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule for the extension of their tenures. This has been a follow-up to the crisis involving Governor Sim Fubara and his erstwhile mentor, Ezenwo Wike.
However, a High Court sitting in Rivers State had struck out the amendment seeking extension as been contrary to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
The panel of the Appeal Court today upheld the decision of the High Court, refused the extension of the tenures of the Chairmen whose positions expired in June and dismissed the case for been unmeritorious.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly has screened and confirmed Barr. Emmanuel Frank-Fubara as Commissioner-designate.
Mr. Emmanuel is a legal luminary who hails from Abonnema in Akuku-Toru LGA.