Rivers: Go Home, Asari Tells Outgoing Council Chairmen

Ex militant leader, Muhajid Asari Dokubo, has advised former chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas in Rivers State to accept the end of their three years’ tenure in good faith, and resist creating crisis.

Asari, who was flanked by stakeholders of the Muslim community in Rivers State as part of activities to mark the 2024 Eid-elKabir celebrations in Port Harcourt yesterday, Asari Dokubo, said tenure elongation is an aberration to the Constitution of Nigeria.

He warned the former chairmen not to invite the wrath of, what he called, the “people’s power”, because it will descend on them to their dismay. He stated that the former chairmen, whose tenure expired yesterday, cannot force on themselves any extension of time that runs contrary to the oath of office they swore to, and be tolerated.

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He said: “Local Government tenure has expired today (June 17, 2024). They should quietly go home. If they want to seek re-election in accordance with the constitution, they should go and seek re-election. “But there is no tenure elongation in the constitution.

Their position is tenure-bound, and that tenure has expired. Let them not cause unnecessary problems for the people of the state. And I want to advise young people, that: look, don’t allow yourselves to be used.”

Asari Dokubo said young Rivers people must know and understand what their roles are in protecting the state against those self-seeking individuals who think that it is their private estate. He said: “Only one man can be governor of Rivers State at a time. We would not have two governors at a time. The people of Rivers State are bigger than Muhajid Asari Dokubo.

Rivers State is bigger than any individual. No individual can take Rivers State people for a ride and pocket us. It is not possible.” He added: “The people are showing people’s power.

The people have gone on their own to take over the local government secretariat because it is about the people, and nobody can say that we voted for three years’ tenure for a chairman and the chairman should exceed one second of that tenure.”