The former Local Government chairmen in Rivers State who were sacked in 2015 by the former Governor Nyesom Wike administration have vowed to return to take over the councils in the 23 local government areas.
The former Chairman of Andoni LGA, Benson Imie, disclosed this on behalf of others on Tuesday at a briefing to newsmen in Port Harcourt.
Imie recalled that they were elected in an election conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission on May 23, 2015 towards the end of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s administration.
He said that Wike, Amaechi’s successor, sacked them on assumption of office, adding that a Federal High Court in its judgement on July 9, 2015 nullified the matter while voiding the 2015 LG election.
Imie further said that after 10 years, the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt on February 28, 2025 upturned the decision of the Federal High Court, ruling that the 2015 election was without encumbrances.
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He explained that the Appeal Court, in Suit No: CA/PH/172?2024 ( Hon. Augustine P. NGO & 22 Ors v. Peoples Democratic Party & Ors), nullified and set aside the Federal High Court judgement.
According to him, the judgement was set aside on the grounds of violent breach and flagrant abuse of the appellants’ right to fair hearing.
He said that the judgement recognised that the appellants’ right to fair hearing was jealously protected and preserved under Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“And the plethora of case laws, holding that the election of the appellants was without any legal encumbrances,” he said.
Imie said with the Supreme Court’s Friday judgement sacking the chairmen elected in the last election conducted by the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara on October 5, 2024, they were the rightfully elected LG Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Councillors.
In his remarks, Reginald Ukwuoma, former Chairman of Etche LGA, said that they did not need to be sworn into office or take any oath of office as they have done all that in 2015.
“At this moment, we will wait to receive the Certified True Copies of the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court judgements, then we will know when to resume office,” Ukwuoma said.
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