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Rivers State politics heats up as Lere Olayinka, an aide to Minister Nyesom Wike, criticizes Governor Fubara’s decision to appoint Heads of Local Government Administration. Olayinka emphasizes that only democratically elected chairmen and councilors have the constitutional authority to run local governments, following a Supreme Court judgment on LG autonomy.

The recent Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy has ignited political tension in Rivers State. Lere Olayinka, Special Adviser on Public Communication to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has publicly responded to Governor Siminilayi Fubara’s directive regarding the management of the state’s local governments.

The Supreme Court judgment, delivered on March 1, 2025, invalidated the October 2024 local government elections in Rivers, which had produced 23 elected chairmen and 319 councilors. The court’s ruling aligns with Nigeria's constitution, which affirms that local governments should be run only by democratically elected officials, not appointed caretakers or state governors.

In the wake of the judgment, Fubara directed that the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGA) take over the councils pending new elections. This decision was part of his commitment to implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling, which outlawed caretaker committees across the state.

Olayinka quickly criticized Fubara’s actions, emphasizing that only democratically elected chairmen and councilors have the constitutional right to oversee local governments. According to him, the Rivers State House of Assembly has the authority to extend the tenure of elected local government officials if necessary, not the governor.

Olayinka’s comments underline the growing political rift in Rivers State, with experts and citizens closely watching how this constitutional issue will unfold in the coming months.