By Abiola Olawale
There is palpable tension in several parts of Rivers State as youths stormed streets to ensure none of the 23 local government chairmen in the state resume work on Tuesday after the expiration of their three-year tenure.
The protest in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State took a different dimension as protesting youths pulled down the effigy of the former governor of Rivers State, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Additionally, billboards and banners featuring the images of Wike and the former Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Barrister George Ariolu, were also destroyed within the premises of the Obio/Akpor LGA.
In a viral video, some youths were seen struggling to drag the statue down.
Some of the youths were also armed with several placards, chanting solidarity songs demanding the chairman of the Obio/Akpor Local Government to vacate his office following the expiration of his three-year tenure.
The youths displayed banners with inscriptions of “Obio/Akpor Local Government is fully Simplified”.
The New Diplomat reports that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor, Wike fell out barely three months after the latter succeeded the former as Rivers governor.
The duo have been involved in heated exchanges but the situation has been calm for a while.
The latest crisis emerged after the pro-Wike faction of Rivers State House of Assembly extended the tenure of the local government chairmen by six months.
The Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly had amended the law to enable LG chairmen to extend their tenure by six months over the alleged failure of Fubara to conduct local government elections.
However, in the early hours of Tuesday Fubara instructed Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) to immediately assume control of the 23 council areas in the state following the expiration of the three-year tenure of elected local government officials.
