Governors lack power to sack elected LG officials – S'Court

Supreme Court on Friday held that the illegal removal of 148 elected local government officials by the Abia State government amounts to 'official recklessness' of the state governor.

In a judgment delivered yesterday, a seven-member panel of justices of the apex court said, no state governor has the right to illegally remove a democratically elected local government official.

The court also ordered the Abia State government to pay the sacked 148 elected officials of the local government areas of the state their salaries and entitlement for the 23 months they had to stay in office before the expiration of their tenure.

The apex court also awarded a cost of N25, 000 against the appellant after throwing out the appeal. Recalled that state governor in June 2006 illegally sacked Abia local government elected officials, comprising local government chairmen and counselors.