Rivers LG: S/Court reserves ruling on suit seeking sack of Chairmen 

The Supreme Court has postponed its decision on an appeal challenging the validity of the local government elections in Rivers State, held on October 5, 2024.  The All Progressives Congress (APC) is seeking to overturn the results of the polls.   A five-member panel, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, concluded the hearing after all parties presented their final arguments.  The APC’s lawyer, J.B. Daudu, asked the court to nullify the election, while Governor Siminalaye Fubara’s lawyer, Yusuf Ali, and Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s (RSIEC) counsel, Chris Uche, defended the poll’s legitimacy.   Earlier, the Court of Appeal had overturned a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had halted the elections.  The appellate court stated that the lower court had no jurisdiction over the matter, as state elections are not covered under Section 28 of the Electoral Act.   The initial ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing a voter register for the election, citing non-compliance with legal requirements.  The court also criticized RSIEC for failing to issue the mandatory 90-day election notice.   With the Supreme Court set to decide, the fate of the Rivers LG election remains uncertain.

Wike’s loyalist rejects Fubara’s redeployment, resigns as Rivers commissioner

The Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zaccaeus Adangor, SAN has rejected his redeployment to the Ministry of Special Duties (Governor’s Office), and consequently resigned from the State Executive Council. Adangor’s resignation came barely 24 hours after the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, redeployed him in a minor cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday. Fubara, in a letter issued on Tuesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, redeployed Adangor alongside the State Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, who himself was moved to the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment Adangor and Kamalu, as well as seven other commissioners who had previously resigned from Fubara’s cabinet in the heat of the political crisis that rocked the state, are loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Adangor’s resignation was contained in a letter he personally signed, dated April 24 and addressed to the SSG on Wednesday and obtained by our correspondent. The letter was titled, “Cabinet Reshufflement: Notice of Rejection of Deployment and Resignation from the Rivers State Executive Council.” Adangor accused Fubara of willfully interfering with the performance of his duties as Commissioner. He further said the governor had in the last few weeks directed him not to defend, oppose, or appear in suits instituted against his office and the Government of Rivers State by persons admittedly hired and sponsored by the Government of Rivers State. The six-point letter reads, “My attention has been drawn to your letter dated April 23, 2024, and widely circulated on social media whereby I was “deployed to the ministry of special duties (governor’s office). I hereby give you notice of my rejection of the said deployment and resignation from the Rivers State Executive Council with effect from the 24th day of April 2024. “I wish to state for the record that I am no longer willing to continue to serve in the administration of His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, in any capacity whatsoever. “It is important to mention that the Governor of Rivers State had in the past couple of weeks willfully interfered with the performance of my duties as the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Rivers State, by directing me not to defend, oppose, or appear in suits instituted against the Honourable Attorney-General and the Government of Rivers State by persons admittedly hired and sponsored by the Government of Rivers State. “Having served the Government and good people of Rivers State dutifully as a member of the Rivers State Executive Council for the past five years, it has become imperative for me to quit the administration in order to preserve my reputation. “I wish the administration of His Excellency well.”

Senate gives update on P/Harcourt Refinery

The Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to Investigate the Turnaround Maintenance of Nigeria’s Refineries has said the Port Harcourt Refinery will begin operation before the end of December. This is as the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that his administration is working in tandem with President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government’s policies designed to make life better for Nigerians through the Renewed Hope Agenda. Fubara noted that, in doing so, the Woji-Aleto-Alesa-Refinery Road, now 70 per cent completed, was being constructed to provide a bypass to easily access the Port Harcourt Refinery and take off traffic from the East-West Road. He made the remark when members of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to Investigate the Turnaround Maintenance of Nigeria’s Refineries, led by their Chairman, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday. This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi. The governor said the purpose of governance was to make life easy for the people. He expressed delight that the Senate Committee’s investigation would make life easy and meaningful for Nigerians. The statement read, “We, as a state, before the commencement of the rehabilitation job, had a contribution that we wanted to make to support the work at the refinery because of the deplorable state of the East-West Road. “There is a road: Woji-Aleto-Alesa Refinery Road. We are almost completing the bridge. It’s about 70 per cent completed. We are doing almost the last part of it. With that road, it will help to decongest and reduce the trouble commuters face along the East-West Road while providing easy access, straight to the refinery. “So, you can see that our government is working in line, supporting the Administration of President Bola Tinubu to give our people hope and assurance that things will soon get better.” It added, “And it is this role that you are playing, genuinely. With the support of this state government, that is the only way we can achieve the purpose of governance for everyone. “The purpose of governance is to make life easy for the people. I am happy that your investigation would make life easy for the people,” the governor explained. Fubara pointed to the derivable benefits when the refinery is eventually revamped and becomes operational, both to the Federal Government and host, Rivers State. He added, “When the refinery restarts production, there will be petroleum products available locally. The issue of importation will go down. “We will now make an impact, the economy will grow, and internally generated revenue will increase. More projects will be executed in this state. You can see that it’s a chain effect thing. So, I want to thank you.”