A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Dafe Akpedeye, has said that the Industrial Court ruling cannot overrule the Federal High Court judgement on the leadership of Rivers State Local Councils.
Mr Akpedeye, who spoke on a programme on Channels Television via telephone from Benin city, the Edo State capital, warned of a looming judicial anarchy if the court decision is not properly managed.
He stressed that unless there is a Court of Appeal intervention, the subsisting High Court ruling on the Rivers council leadership stands.
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, had nullified the election of chairmen and councillors of the 22 Local Government Councils in the state.
The judgement was applauded by some stakeholders but it has equally attracted protests from different groups.
There were reports that the Police, on Saturday, vacated the secretariats of the 22 Local Government Councils of the state on the order of the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, a report it has since debunked.
The Rivers State Police Command has warned groups to suspend planned protests in Port Harcourt on Monday, in support or against the judgement of Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court.
The Police said that intelligence report revealed that a group planned to protest against the judgment of the court, as well as the swearing in of caretaker committee by Governor Nyesom Wike to run the affairs of the councils and this protest would be countered by another group supporting the judgement.
The Command, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday, said that such protests, if allowed, could get out of hand and lead to breakdown of law and order in the state.
