Appeal Court Gives Sacked 23 LGA Chairmen In Rivers State Right To Challenge Their Removal From Office

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has granted right to twenty three former local government chairmen in Rivers State to challenge their removal from office by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.

The former local government chairmen who were elected under the previous administration of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State had gone to the appellate court to challenge the refusal of the Federal High Court to make them parties in a suit against their election.

Justice THERESA ORJI-ABADUA in her ruling held that the sacked council chairmen were necessary parties because the decision of the lower court directly affected them.

She said the sacked council chairmen have the competence to be part of the matter and ought to have been joined in the case by the lower court before nullifying the process that brought them to power.

Counsel to the sacked council chairmen EMENIKE EBETE said the ruling of the Court of Appeal has set the stage for the challenge of the judgment of the Federal High Court which nullified the election of the elected council chairmen.

The office of the Attorney General of Rivers State is yet to react to the ruling of the Court of Appeal which granted right of challenge to the twenty three sacked council chairmen in the State.