The Chairman of Ukwuani Local Government Council, Chiamaka Ajede, has refuted viral social media claims alleging that Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori ordered the arrest and removal of a sitting councillor, Chukwuemeka Kenneth.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ajede stated that the governor had no involvement in the councillor’s current detention or disciplinary status.
Ajede explained that Kenneth remains a serving councillor and has not been stripped of his office, though he was suspended from official council duties by his peers following an alleged breach of the local government’s code of conduct. Separately, his detention is tied to ongoing judicial proceedings after the police investigated statements he reportedly made during a live television broadcast on 21 June 2026 and subsequently filed charges against him at the Federal High Court in Asaba.
While reiterating that the legal steps and the internal administrative suspension were entirely distinct, the council chairman dismissed the online rumours as false.
“The governor did not imprison him. His detention is as a result of the case before the court. He is still a sitting councillor. He has only been suspended by his colleagues,” Ajede said.
“The issue was reported to the police, and the police investigated the matter before charging him before the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba,” Ajede stated, adding that during the court proceedings, “He pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, and an application for bail was made.”
Kenneth remains in custody while the court considers his bail application, and Ajede urged the general public to disregard reports connecting Governor Oborevwori to the councillor’s detention or office status.