Oyo LGAs: Malami’s Action Selective, Improper – Oyo AGF

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, on Monday, stated that the intervention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on the dissolution of local government leadership in Oyo State was selective and as a result of lack of proper briefing.

Oyewo, who stated this while appearing on a Channels TV programme, Sunrise Daily, maintained that the AGF was not properly briefed on the local government situation in Oyo State.

According to him, the dissolved council chairmen were not properly constituted, having emerged from an election that was held in disobedience to an existing court order.

He said: “If he [AGF] were to be aware of the fact that the matter was sub judice, probably he would not have taken such wanton, liberal interpretation of his powers. His powers are guided by law, by the Constitution of the land and as interpreted by the court.”

Oyewo, a professor of Law and former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, added that the AGF lacked the power at large to enforce judgment without going through the process of the enforcement of judgment in compliance with the rules of the court that gave the judgment.

He added that Malami’s actions were partisan and not based on the Constitution, noting that though many APC-controlled states were operating Caretaker Committees and had dissolved elected local government leadership, policemen have not been sent to enforce “anybody’s rights as it were.”

Oyewo stated that though his office was not served with the AGF’s later dated 14th January, 2020 and that the letter only came to its notice on 22nd January, 2020, due to the seriousness of the letter, it penned a rejoinder to the AGF.

According to Oyewo, the AGF’s actions were clearly not based on law or the Constitution of the land but purely partisan.

When asked whether there was a possibility of the sacked chairmen coming back to office, Prof. Oyelowo said what the State Government did was to dissolve them and that if the court eventually pronounces the Government’s action null and void, Governor Makinde as someone who believes in and maintains the rule of law would not act in contravention.

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