The Federal Capital Territory High Court has overturned an earlier ruling that barred the Federal Capital Territory minister, Mohammed Bello, from inauguration of newly elected council chairmen and councils.
The court granted a one-year extension to the outgoing chairmen and councillors of the six FCT Area Councils in its May 13 decision, resulting in the suspension of the newly elected council chairmen’s inauguration ceremony on May 19.
On February 12, supporters of the six chairmen and 62 councillors took to the streets and highways of Abuja to express their displeasure with the FCT Minister’s compliance with the ruling.
The court order supported Mr Bello’s defense and how he stated his decision not to inaugurate the elected executives.
Admitting his error and vacating his first judgment, Justice Ibrahim Mohammed ordered on Thursday that the newly elected and issued certificates of return area council chairmen be sworn in with immediate effect.
In accordance with the new ruling, the minister scheduled the inauguration for June 14 in a statement issued on Friday after receiving a copy of the verdict.
“We want to reiterate that as a law-abiding organisation, the FCTA will equally obey this new judgement just as it had complied with the earlier judgement. The Chairmen shall accordingly be inaugurated at 10:00hrs prompt on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. Further details will be provided in due course.
”Residents are once again reminded that the FCT is a creation of law and all actions of the FCT Administration are guided by the rule of law and this case will not be an exception,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Anthony Ogunleye, said the statement
