By Deborah Nnamdi
The embattled 18 local government chairmen in Edo State have declared that they remain executive chairmen of their respective local government councils, stating that their suspension by the state House of Assembly cannot stand.
Governor Monday Okpebholo had written to the House over the refusal of the chairmen to submit the councils’ financial records to the Asset Verification Committee as requested.
The governor described the chairmen’s action as an act of insubordination and gross misconduct and requested the House to look into the matter.
Following the governor’s letter, the House on December 17, suspended the council chairmen and their deputies over alleged insubordination and gross misconduct.
Newman Ugiagbe of Orhiomwon LG, who spoke on behalf of the chairmen on Wednesday, said the state Assembly acted in contempt of court, adding that he and his colleagues would continue to carry out their lawful duties until the expiration of their tenure in September 2026.
He said the local government chairmen had dragged the state government and the House of Assembly to the state high court, where the Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, ruled that the Governor, House of Assembly, and its agents can’t suspend or dissolve elected local government chairmen.
He added that a reminder was also served on the Speaker of the House on December 17.
He further stated that the Speaker was informed of another suit instituted against the Edo State Government, the Governor, and others, wherein the High Court 2 granted an Interim order restraining the defendants from “interfering with the Claimants exercise of their Constitutional rights over all assets and funds allocated to them from the Federation Account.”
“It also restrained the defendants from suspending, removing, redeploying, meddling or in any manner interfering with them in the administration and management of their Councils,” he added.
Ugiagbe, who is the ALGON chairman in the state, said they were elected on September 3, 2023, and sworn in on September 4, 2023, insisting that they are entitled to hold office for three years.
“We remain the executive Chairmen of our respective Local Government Councils and we are going on with our constitutional responsibility as the chief executive officers of our Councils. As law-abiding chairmen, the people of our respective councils gave us our mandate till 2026; no one can stop us from carrying out our lawful duties,” he said.
He, however, called on the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), and other institutions of government saddled with the responsibility of enforcing law and order to protect all assets and buildings of the 18 councils.
