THE democratically elected local government chairmen under the umbrella of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Oyo State, has rejected in totality the ‘purported’ dissolution of democratically elected local government chairmen in the state.
The message was contained in a press statement signed and read by the ALGON chairman in the state, Honourable Prince Ayodeji Abass–Aleshiloye, during a press conference held at the Dapo Aderogba hall, Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
Abass-Aleshinloye also stated that the chairmen will continue to resume to their various offices and continue acting in their capacities as democratically elected chairmen by their constituents. He said they are armed with a court injunction that legalises their election as council chairmen.
Other chairmen present at the briefings are; Chairman Ibadan west LCDA, Yomi Ade Adefusi, Chairman Oyo West, Honourable Bisi Oladejo, Chairman, Itesiwajy local government, Honourable Niyi Adeagbo, chairman, Ibarapa central-local government, Honourable Habib A. Ibrahim, Chairman, Iganna LCDA, Honourable Samuel Egunjobi, Chairman, Ibadan North West Local Government, Basorun Bosun Ajuwon, Ogo-Oluwa local government, Honourable Olayinka Jesutoye and chairman Egbeda local government, Honourable Sadiq Akeem Akintunde.
Abass-Aleshiloye described the notice of dissolution signed by the Chief of Staff to the governor, Chief Bisi Ilaka, on Wednesday as a ‘military-like statement.’
He said “dissolving an elected local government in a democracy? a familiar jackboot statement of the military era is no doubt a sad throwback to those better forgotten years of military dictatorship. This is unexpected and quite unfortunate in a democracy setting. The statement came out less than twelve hours after Governor Makinde was sworn – in.”
The statement reads in part: “We, the democratically elected local government chairmen under the umbrella of ALGON Oyo State, reject this unconstitutional act of Mr Governor. It is illegal, undemocratic, violation of rule of law and contempt of a subsisting court injunction against any dissolution of the local government as ordered by Justice A.A. Aderemi of High Court 2, Ibadan, Oyo State, on May 6, 2019. The Enrolment of Order was contained in the Suit NO: 1/347/2019. There were recent Supreme Court judgments against such an act of illegality by governors.
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Since this purported dissolution was done in flagrant disobedience of a subsisting court order, and a crude breach of the right of our people to be democratically governed at local government level as the third tier of government as copiously stated in Section 7(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended: “The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed..’ we shall seek all democratic, constitutional and peaceful means to correct this illegal act of the state government. Under no law can a state governor make a declaration, proclamation or directive to summarily dissolve elected local government council or any elected organ of governance created by the constitution.”
Aleshinloye then appealed to both the affected chairmen and security agencies in the state to remain and be alert respectively, in the due course.
He said “We hereby appeal to all the duly elected chairmen of local government and local council development areas, councillors and citizens in these respective councils to remain calm and be peaceful in the face of this provocation and assault on constitutional democracy.
” We count on your maximum solidarity and loyalty in this constitutional right path to save democracy at the grassroots and in Oyo State.
“In this regards, we request the Commissioner of Police, Director of State Security (DSS) and other security to be at alert and provide full security to all chairmen and council secretariats as a pre-emptive step to forestall any possible attacks, vandalism and any threat to peace in our dear pacesetter state, the peace and security Oyo State has enjoyed in the past eight years.”
and then