From Mba Nnenna – Abakaliki.
The Ebonyi state APC Chairman, Emegha Stanley Okoro have slammed the present serving ward Councillors over the acceptance of LG election nullification.
The serving ward councillors from 13 LGA’s in the state have accepted the Federal High Court ruling on nullification of the LGA elections held on 25th August, 2022.
Ebonyi State House of Assembly made a new law in 2020 and reduced the tenure of local government elected officials from 3 to 2 years.
However Justice Fatun Riman of the Federal High court, Abakaliki persists in his ruling that the local government chairmen tenure remains 3 years, hence the tenure of the present serving LG Chairmen and Councillors expires 30th August, 2023.
As a result, the serving Councillors in a statement signed by Eze Gilbert Chikwado and Frank Alo Ikpor of Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone, Nwangwu Franklin and Mbam Udoka of Ebonyi North Senatorial zone and other Councillors of various Senatorial zones urge Ebonyi state Government to accept the judgment of the court.
Reacting, the APC Chairman Emegha stated that the judgement has since been quashed by another court of Coordinate jurisdiction through an Ex-parte order obtained by the genuinely elected officials at the July 30th Council polls in the state. Noting that, “in the eyes of the law, the latest judgment has rendered the previous ineffective hence the inauguration will go on as planned,” he added.
