Local Government Council Chairmen kicked out of office by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State in 2011 have intensified their onslaught to reclaim their mandate.
They are now seeking an injunction to stop the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC from holding the Local Government election and compel the State Government to obey an order of the court which had reinstated them.
Ngozi Olehi, Counsel to the Council Chairmen and Councillors are praying the court for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the state Governor, his aides, agents and ISIEC from going ahead with the conduct of the local government election in the State pending the hearing and determination of Appeal No SC/537/2016 pending before the Supreme Court.
The Applicants are also asking the Court to stop Governor Okorocha from disbursing any Statutory funds accruable to the Councils without the elected Chairmen, Councillors and others.
They also stated that if the defendants are not restrained, their operations relating to their functions under the fourth schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) will not be carried out by them or those who will legitimately take over from them.
In their argument, they contend that if the defendants are not restrained by the court, they will resort to show disrespect to Court by not taking into consideration the pendency of the Appeal.
The fresh legal fireworks by the Council Chairmen against the Okorocha administration arose after the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC announced it will hold Council elections on July 14, 2018.
It would be recalled that based on an Order of the Court, the Council Chairmen returned to their offices only to be forcibly taken out by agents of the State Government in 2012.
