A
High Court in Owerri, Imo State, has restrained the Imo State Governor, Rochas
Okorocha from dissolving the elected chairmen and councillors of the 27 local
governments in Imo State from August 8, 2012.
Justice
Ngozi Opara also ordered the governor not to interfere with the operation of
the chairmen of the local governments pending the determination of the Motion
on Notice.
Chairman
of Ngor Okpala government council cum secretary ALGON, Enyinnya Onuegbu and 26
others had sued the governor and four others, asking the court to stop the
governor, by himself, his servants, agents privies or whosoever, from
interfering with the rights and privileges of the plaintiffs as
democratically elected chairmen of the 27 LGs of Imo State and or purporting to
dissolve or declare their offices vacant pending the hearing and determination
of the Motion on Notice.
The
judge also restrained the 3rd Defendant/Respondent (Imo State House of
Assembly) “from confirming, affirming or endorsing anything by the 1st
Defendant (Okorocha) to interfere with the discharge of the duties of the
chairmen of LGs in state or any Transition Committee or Transition
Committees, the 1st Defendant will purport to set up or constitute to replace
the claimants as democratically elected chairmen of LGs of Imo State until the
hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”
The
court also restrained the 4th defendant/respondent (Imo State Independent
Electoral Commission) from organizing any local government election in the
state.