Appeal Court reserves judgment in Oyo LG leadership tussle suit

THE Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday reserved judgment in a suit filed by the Oyo government challenging a court order not to dissolve the 33 local government chairmen and 35 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Oyo State government appealed the judgment of the high court delivered on May 6, 2019, by Justice Aderonke

Aderemi, ordering the state government not to dissolve the elected 33 chairmen and 35 LCDAs in Oyo State.

NAN reports that in spite of the judgment, Governor Seyi Makinde dissolved the 33 chairmen and 35 LCDAs in the state immediately after his inauguration on May 29, 2019.

The three-member panel of appeal judges, chaired by Justice Jimi Bada, on Wednesday reserved the judgment after hearing arguments of counsel in the suit.

Bada further said judgment date would be communicated to the respective counsels.

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Earlier in his argument, counsel for the Oyo State government, Kunel Kalejaye, said the lower court had not jurisdiction to hear the case because it was premature as of the time it was filed.

Kalejaye said the chairmen filed the suit at the lower court based on a rumour they heard that Makinde would dissolve them after his swearing-in on May 29, 2019.

He said the case was filed at the lower court and judgment obtained by the respondents before they were dissolved.

Kalejaye urged the court to dismiss the judgment of the lower court and uphold the appeal.

In his argument, counsel for the respondents, Yusuf Ali, said the action cannot be termed immature because the law allows a person to approach the court when such a person notices his right is threatened.

He urged the to dismiss the appeal and uphold the judgment of the lower court to prevent such an action from happening in future.

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