By Disun Amosun
The Coalition of United Opposition Political Parties CUPP has described Friday’s override by members of the Rivers State Assembly of Governor Siminalaye Fubara, by unilaterally passing and effecting into law a bill extending the tenure of local government chairmen whose tenure is expected to end in a few weeks.
According to the spokesman of the Parliamentary wing of the CUPP, Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Abia) in Abuja the development is tantamount to legislative rascality and if not checked is capable of unleashing mayhem in the state.
He told newsmen at a briefing that the action taken by members who have defected from the party that brought them into the state parliament, without any division within it, thus contravening relevant section of the electoral law guiding party membership.
The development he said was not acceptable by the opposition parties, having resolved at the Coalition’s recent convention to step up its opposition activities to allow for a robust democracy in Nigeria.
“President Tinubu should in the spirit of the peace he brokered at the beginning of the challenges confronting the Rivers Legislature with the crossover of majority of members to the ruling APC, by prevailing on the trouble tormentors to reverse their actions. They cannot arbitrate and adjudicate at the same time.
“Even if their line of action bears any iota of legitimacy, the fact that they sat clandestinely pass a purported bill on extending the tenure of the Council Chairmen, they erred by not passing the bill to the Governor for assent Into law or waiting for the mandatory 30 days for his reaction before taking a decision”, he added.
