PASTOR VINCENT EBIRIM (EZE-ELECT, ANARA AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY) CHIEF ALOYSIUS AGBARAKWE (PRESIDENT ANARA TOWN UNION) (FOR THEMSELVES AND ON BEHALF OF THIRTEEN (13) VILLAGES IN ANARA AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY, EXCEPT THE 1ST DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT AND HIS FEW SUPPORTERS FROM UMUNEKE-ANARA) V. NZE OGEMDI AGBUGBA GOVERNOR OF IMO STATE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF IMO STATE COMMISSIONER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND CHIEFTAINCYAFFAIRS MR. DOMINIC CHINEDU OBI (CHAIRMAN, CARETAKER COMMITTEE, ISIALA MBANO, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA).

AGUBE JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): By a writ of summons dated and filed on 25 January 2012 at the Registry of the High Court of Justice of Imo State of Nigeria in the Mbano Etiti Judicial Division, the appellants as plaintiffs in the endorsement made on the writ and the statement of claim dated 23 January 2012, sought from the defendants (now respondents) jointly and severally, the following reliefs: “1. A declaration that the 1st defendant, Nze Ogemdi Agbugba, was never identified, selected and presented under the customs and traditions and existing documents on the Ezeship stool of Anara Autonomous Community, and therefore cannot validly apply for recognition as the Eze (that is traditional ruler) of Anara Autonomous Community or cannot berecognized as the Eze (that is traditional ruler) of Anara Autonomous Community in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. 2. An order that the Ezeship of Anara Autonomous Community in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo Sta…