Youths in Rivers State have taken to the streets to protest the attempted extension of the tenure of office of council chairmen in the state.
The protesters shut down the gates of several council secretariats, including those in Degema, Asari-Toru, and Akuku-Toru LGAs.
The protest comes after the Rivers State Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewuele, overridden Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s veto and passed a controversial bill extending the tenure of office of the council chairmen by six months.
The move has been widely criticized as an attempt to subvert the democratic process.
In a video, Hon. Samuel Nwanosike, Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government, was seen insulting the governor and vowing to remain in office, citing the controversial bill. However, a Rivers State High Court has nullified the bill and ordered Amaewuele and his colleagues to stop parading as assembly members.
The protest is seen as a response to the perceived disobedience of the court order and the attempted subversion of the democratic process. The situation is still unfolding, and the details of a meeting held by former governor Wike with the outgoing chairmen at his residence in Port Harcourt are yet to be made public.
The protesters were seen in separate videos posted on Facebook by supposed loyalists to Governor Fubara.
