The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt has rendered a decisive verdict by dismissing two appeals brought by ousted local government chairmen aligned with the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, PUNCH reported.

The appeals, registered as CA/PH/137M/2024 and CA/PH/145M/2024, were filed by Enyiada Cookey-Gam, former Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, and six others. They contested rulings from the High Court concerning the extension of their tenures.

In delivering the judgment, the court ruled that the appeals lacked substance and subsequently struck them down, affirming the lower court's decisions.

The ruling comes amidst ongoing political tensions in Rivers State, exacerbated by the refusal of former council chairmen to vacate their positions following the expiration of their tenures.

This situation has precipitated a clash of interests between factions aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and those loyal to Minister Nyesom Wike.

Governor Fubara recently swore in new Caretaker Committee Chairmen for all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

The inauguration took place shortly after the State House of Assembly, under the leadership of factional Speaker Victor Jumbo, vetted and endorsed the nominees.

The process unfolded swiftly, with Governor Fubara submitting the list of nominees on Tuesday and the screening taking place early the following Wednesday morning, as confirmed by the House Clerk, G.M. Gillis-West.

Addressing the newly appointed caretaker chairmen, Governor Fubara emphasized the imperative of maintaining peace amidst the political volatility in the state.

He assured them of operational flexibility, allowing them to work remotely pending the resolution of the administrative upheaval.