A Legal Practitioner, Achi William-Wobodo, has, during an interview on This Week, an Arise Television Programme, maintained that the Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly may not necessarily have extended the tenure of Local Government Chairmen, but may have only amended the law to cover the loophole in the old law; as he went further to say that the action of the Assembly is constitutional.
The Legal Practitioner had said, "First and foremost, I will like to correct the impression that what's happening in Rivers State is in any guise an extension of the tenure of Local Government; it's not correct. What is happening in in Rivers State is tha the Rivers House of Assembly is trying to bridge a gap that exists in law that governs the conduct of local government election in Rivers State, and it is not inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution. Now if you look at section 7 sub-section 1 of the Constitution, it provides background; it says the system for the governance of local government shall be by democratically elected Council, and that is guaranteed, so the Constitution does not envisage a situation where there will be an...."
According to a video on Arise Television's YouTube Channel – https://youtu.be/h4R3Q_j4ybY?si=nCMo7u_slXLfARmW
Forward video to 4:52