Nigeria’s Court of Appeal, sitting in Port Harcourt, on Monday, dismissed two appeals instituted by the sacked Local Government Chairmen loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The appeals, marked CA/PH/137M/2024 and CA/PH/145M/2024, were filed by the former Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Enyiada Cookey-Gam, and six others, challenging the decisions of the High Court regarding the elongation of their tenure.
While delivering its ruling, the court ruled that the appeals lacked merit and consequently struck them out.
The judgement is coming weeks after Governor Siminalayi Fubara swore in the Caretaker Committee Chairmen for the 23 LGA at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The governor, on June 19, inaugurated the new caretaker chairmen hours after the House of Assembly, led by factional Speaker, Victor Jumbo, screened and confirmed the nominees.
Inspector General of Police directed his men to barricade all the local governments’ secretariat gates. Maybe he will now tell them to leave as a result of the Appeal court’s rulings.