The Benin Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly condemned the recent suspension of the 18 local government area chairmen and their deputies by the Edo State House of Assembly.
In a statement released on Sunday, the chairman of the NBA Benin Branch, Idemudia Osifo, argued that the suspension was in violation of an existing Supreme Court ruling, describing the House of Assembly’s action as a blatant disregard for the rule of law.
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The statement read, “Nigerian Bar Association, Benin Branch, expresses its profound sorrow and indignation over the incidents of Tuesday the 17th day of December 2024 that appeared to stand the rule of law on its head.
“The NBA, Benin, was aghast when it received the news that the Edo State Assembly purportedly suspended democratically elected local government chairmen in the guise of misconduct.
“The NBA, Benin states categorically that the recent Supreme Court decision in AG of the Federation v. AG of Abia State & Ors (2024) LPELR-62576 (SC) has affirmed beyond pre-adventure the autonomy of the local governments.
“We therefore call on all actors to constrain themselves to act within the ambit of the law. The law has provided the proper channels to anyone who desires to find out the true financial state of the local government councils.”
The association called on the Attorney General and all other ministers in the Temple of Justice to provide guidance in accordance with the principles, emphasizing that the law, as the rule of law, must be upheld as supreme above all else.
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