Appeal court reinstates sacked councilors, LG chairmen in Imo

"The presiding judge, Justice Uwani Attaji read out the unanimous decision by the panel of judges who had earlier struck out a cross appeal by the government.

Before the ruling, two issues whether the governor had the right to sack a democratically elected council chairmen and whether the governor had the right to institute a caretaker committee to administer the councils in place of a democratically elected council executive were put for determination.

The state government among other things had argued that there was a subsisting court case against the conduct of council election before the poll, which called to question the credibility of the said exercise.

The court however held that such case has been overtaken by the conduct of the said council election.

The presiding judge therefore, ordered for immediate reinstatement of the chairmen as duly elected and restrained the governor or his proxies from interfering in their activities"