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By Phillip Nwosu
The High Court of Abia State has nullified the decision of the Abia State Government to withdraw the Staff of Office of His Royal Majesty, Eze Prof. Edward Ebere Eule, describing the action as unlawful and procedurally flawed.
Delivering judgment, Justice L.T.C. Eruba ruled that the government acted ultra vires—beyond its powers—by suspending the monarch and revoking his Staff of Office before the expiration of the three-month period stipulated in its own White Paper.
The court described the government’s action as “an abysmal charade,” stressing that no authority is permitted to violate its own administrative processes.
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Justice Eruba further faulted the Board of Inquiry set up by the government for deliberating on issues already pending before the High Court, describing such conduct as “a contemptuous interference” with judicial proceedings.
In his ruling, the judge declared the Board’s proceedings, findings, recommendations, and the subsequent White Paper as null, void, and of no effect, thereby restoring Eze Eule’s traditional authority and status.
The judgment is seen as a significant affirmation of the independence of the judiciary and a reminder that due process must guide all governmental actions, especially in matters affecting traditional institutions.
