An appeal has been made to President Bola Tinubu to stop the Nigerian Police Force from their continuous siege on the 23 Local Government Council secretariats in Rivers State despite the court declaration nullifying the tenure elongation of the outgone council chairmen.
Pulse reported that Governor Siminalayi Fubara refused to extend the tenure of local council chairmen whose tenure had ended, and new chairmen were inaugurated.
This development sparked protests across the local council secretariat, which forced the police to intervene and barricade the buildings' premises.
Meanwhile, the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) have expressed dismay at the police's continued siege.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Julius Berger, the coalition of 1,000 civil society groups said this action is a gross violation of the rule of law, an affront to democracy, and a deliberate attempt to undermine the judiciary's authority.
Berger expressed regret that the police, ostensibly working to uphold law and order, have turned into a tool of oppression, preventing workers from reaching their workplaces and resulting in significant loss of work hours.
"We recall that the state High Court had nullified the amended Local Government Law that backed the tenure elongation of the former chairmen, and the appeal court dismissed the appeals filed by Martin Amaewhule and others for lacking in merit.
"It is therefore surprising that the Police have continued to barricade the council secretariats, days after the tenure elongation controversy appeal was dismissed," he said.
IGP urged to withdraw police officers
The coalition urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, to immediately withdraw policemen from the council secretariats and respect the court's judgment.
They argued that the continued presence of police at the council secretariats clearly violates the principle of separation of powers.
"We also urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the Inspector General of Police to order and direct him to immediately withdraw policemen from the council secretariats.
"We commend the Rivers State Government for their swift inauguration of new caretaker chairpersons after the expiration of the tenure of the last officials," the coalition stated.