The 18 embattled local government chairmen in Edo State have declared that their suspension by the State House of Assembly is null and void, insisting it cannot stand.
This follows a letter from Governor Monday Okpebholo to the House, highlighting the chairmen’s refusal to submit their councils’ financial records to the Asset Verification Committee as requested.
The governor condemned their actions as acts of insubordination and gross misconduct, prompting him to ask the House to investigate the matter.
In response, on December 17, the House suspended the chairmen and their deputies, citing alleged insubordination and misconduct.
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However, speaking on behalf of the chairmen on Wednesday, Newman Ugiagbe of Orhiomwon Local Government declared that the suspension was made in contempt of court.
He emphasized that the chairmen would continue to fulfill their official duties until their tenure ends in September 2026.
Ugiagbe further revealed that the chairmen had taken the state government and the House of Assembly to the State High Court, where Chief Judge Justice Daniel Okungbowa ruled that neither the governor nor the assembly had the power to suspend or dissolve elected local government chairmen.
He also confirmed that a reminder was formally served to the Speaker of the House on December 17 regarding this court ruling.
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He further stated that the Speaker was informed of another suit instituted against Edo State Government, the Governor and others, wherein the High Court 2 granted an interim Order restraining the defendants from “interfering wit obstructing and disturbing 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 September 3, 2023 and sworn in on September 4, 2023, insisting that they are entitled to hold office for a period of 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 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.
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