Earlier today, the Justices of the Supreme Court in Nigera ruled that five state governors have no legal mandate to remain in office beyond May 2011.
A panel of the Nigerian apex court ruled that the tenures of Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, Ibrahim Idris of Kogi and Liyel Imoke of Cross Rivers state had since expired since last year.
The justices declared their positions vacant.
The court in Abuja held that the tenures of the governors started to count from the time they took their oath of office after emerging winners in their respective state governorship elections in 2007 and not from the period they took their second oaths of office after emerging winners of the re-run elections when there initial elections were nullified.
And immediately, the police authorities sealed off the Creek Haven Government House, in Bayelsa State ostensibly to prevent looting of the place.
Heavily armed policemen barricaded the Onopa end of the Mbiama-Yenagoa road leading to the Government House and it was closed to traffic.
It was jubilation galore at the popular Swali Market and other parts of Yenagoa as traders and residents chanted songs to celebrate the exit of Governor Timipre Sylva.
Most of the pubs and other relaxation joints witnessed heavy turn-out of customers as many stormed the beer parlours, reveling over the court verdict.
It was gathered that a helicopter had already been despatched to Abuja to get the certified copies of the apex court ruling.
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