Justice Goddy Anunihu of the Imo State High Court has reversed the suspension of five members of the state House of Assembly.
Giving his judgement in the suit filed by the five, the judge also awarded N8 million as cost against the three defendants in the suit.
The plaintiffs were Chiiji Collins, Israel Nnataraoye, Nkenna Nzerue, Uche Oguwuike and Donatus Onuigwe representing Isiala Mbano, Mbaitoli, Ikeduru, Oru East and Oru West state constituencies respectively.
Named as defendants in the suit were; the Imo State House of Assembly, the Speaker, Acho Ihim and the state governor, Rochas Okorocha.
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Anunihu, declared the processes that led to the indefinite suspension of the five lawmakers as “putting the horse before the cart.”
He lambasted the legislature for acting against the law and faulted the setting-up of an investigation team to look into the allegations against the lawmakers.
The judge held that based on the evidence before him, the panel that investigated the lawmakers was a set up.
The lawmakers were suspended in July by their colleagues during the crisis surrounding the impeachment of the state deputy governor, Eze Madumere, who himself was also reinstated by the court in Imo State.
The Speaker had accused the lawmakers of “un-parliamentary conduct.”
