Appeal court reinstates sacked LG chairmen in Kogi

The court of appeal has ordered the reinstatement of chairmen and councillors of the 21 local government councils in Kogi state.

Idris Wada, governor of the state, had dismissed the local government officials after the ruling of a state high court in December.

But delivering judgment on Friday, Mustapha Mohammed, a judge, held that the decision of the lower court was a “judicial error” and ordered that the Kogi state government reinstates the sacked officials “immediately”.

“The Court has perused the substance of the matter and left without an option but to nullify the dissolution carried out by the governor,’’ he said.

Back then, Alaba Omolaye- Ajileye, the trial judge, ordered the appellants (chairmen) to hand over to the most senior directors in their local government councils.

The trial court had held that the elections of the sacked 21 local government bosses conducted by the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) were contrary to section 200(1) of 1999 constitution as amended.

He said the composition of KOSIEC at that period remained unconstitutional, illegal and void.

Omolaye- Ajileye had held the chairmen and their councillors were sacked strictly to promote the principle of fairness, independence and transparency as prescribed by the law.

However, Mohammed said the decision of the lower court was misleading and therefore required to be overturned.

“Having considered the appeal urging this court to reinstate the 21 local government council chairmen and their councillors from Kogi state back to their offices, the penal is obliged to do so,” he ruled.

“The Kogi state government is hereby ordered to immediately, without delay, reinstate the appellants back to their jobs.’’