The Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday passed the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Bill into law by overriding the withdrawal of the assent of the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Recall that on March 13, the House, presided over by its speaker, Martins Amaewhule, passed the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and forwarded it to Governor Fubara for assent, but the governor declined to sign the bill.

A statement by Martins Wachukwu, the media aide to the Speaker, said a two-thirds majority of House members voted to override the governor and pass the bill into law.

Section 9 subsections (2), (3), and (4) of the law were amended by the lawmakers. The amendment empowers the house of assembly via resolution to extend the tenure of elected chairpersons of LGAs and councillors, where it is considered impracticable to hold elections before the expiration of their three-year term in office.

The Assembly said the amendment is to ensure that LGA elections are conducted before the expiration of the outgoing administration.

The 27 members of the Assembly loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT Nyesom Wike, have been having a running battle with the governor over the governor's strain relationship with the minister.

Political observers in the state argued that, while serving as governor, Wike was known for suspending local council chairmen and appointing a caretaker committee. They noted that the appointment of caretaker committees at the expiration of the tenure of the current council officials would have served as an opportunity for the governor to appoint his loyalists at the grass-roots level.