Appeal Court In Rivers Set Aside Federal High Court Judgement
Katherine Abayomi, Port Harcourt
An appeal court sitting in Port Harcourt has set aside the judgment of the federal high court presided over by Justice LAMBO AKANBI, which sacked local government Chairmen elected under the platform of the All Progressive Congress in 2015.
Upon the resumption of the immediate past governor of Rivers State, NYESOM WIKE, sometime in 2015, the People’s Democratic Party filed a suit against the Local govG4u government election that brought in the LGA Chairmen then.
The sacked local government council chairmen, after the judgment of the federal high court, appealed the decision after the court refused to join in the matter by the judge.
Delivering judgment in the suit, a three-man appeal panel led by Justice A H LAGER-BALOGUN criticized the federal high court judge for refusing to hear the applicants’ issue of jurisdiction and to join them when it was clear that the outcome of the judgment would affect them.
Justice A H LAGER-BALOGUN, while declaring that the embattled elected LGA chairmen and their councilors were duly elected, declared the judgment that earlier sacked them as non and void but declined to make consequential orders with reference to non-vacance to the twenty-three local government councils.
Speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom , JAMES KALU-MOMG who the Counsel to embattled LGA chairmen explained in details the position of the appeal court and disclosed that they will study the judgment to know the next line of action.
“By virtue of this judgement it then means that the duly elected chairmen of 2015 have been reconfirmed. It goes naturally, if we confirmed that is vacancies in the local government councils, hence our election, the judgment that nullified our election has been overturned this morning, there shouldn’t have been any vacuum, what has been holding us all this while, had been the judgment of this Akanbi since the judgment has been nullified and also certified that there is vacancy by the Supreme Court, definitely there won’t be any vacancy, we are the rightful persons to occupy all the council secretariats. We have already been sworn in. We do not need any further swearing in. What we are expecting is to assume office, subject to when we certified our vacancies” he stated .
Reginald Ukwuoma, one of the embattled elected Local Government Council Chairmen, said in an interview with newsmen that it would be right for them to assume duty now that there is a vacancy at the LGA Secretariat following the Supreme Court’s judgment.
Dr Reginald Ukwuoma, the duly elected chairman of Etche Local Government Area, confirmed by the court Appeal this morning stated.
“The Justice of the Court of Appeal, the three man panel Lager-Balogun delivered a unanimous judgment notifying the infamous judgement of Justice Lambo Akabi of the then Federal High Court that sacked the duly elected Council chairmen and their councillors in 2015.
The court held that we were not heard and for going ahead before which we filed our interest and file our motion” Ukwuoma stated .
