Today, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja Division has put to rest the request for an elongation of tenure of 21 former Local Government chairmen in Rivers State.
This concerned the SUIT No.FHC/ABJ/ CS/537/2024- CHIDI J. LLOYD & 42 ORS v INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE & 12 ORS.
The suit was filed on the 23rd day of April 2024 at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, by Chidi J. Lloyd and 20 former Local Government Council chairmen in Rivers State.
In the suit, Chidi Lloyd and his co-travellers had sought legal imprimateur for their continued stay in office as Local Government Council chairmen.
This is in spite of the fact that their 3 years tenure had expired on the 16th of June 2024.
Their pretensions were anchored on the Local Government Amendment Law illegally passed by their fellow co-travellers in the Rivers State House of Assembly; Martin Chike Amaewhule, and his 26 FRIENDS, who automatically ceased to be members of RSHA by reason of their defection on the 11th day of December 2023.
But the judgment has stopped that pretensions and struck out the suit for want of locus standi.
His Lordship was emphatic that Chidi J. Lloyd and his 20 co-travellers ceased to be Local Government Council chairmen and thus have no rights whatsoever to parade as such.