Showdown In Edo As LG Chairmen Reject Suspension

The 18 local government chairmen in Edo State, who were suspended by the State House of Assembly on the prompting of Governor Monday Okpebholo have rejected the move.

The Local Government chairmen insist they cannot be removed from office.

On December 17, 2024, the House of Assembly suspended the chairmen for two months, following a petition filed by Governor Monday Okpebholo, citing alleged misconduct.

In response to the suspension, the chairmen, under the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), said that their removal was unlawful and violated court orders. At a press conference in Benin City, the Chairman of the Edo State ALGON, Newman Ugiagbe, emphasized that the chairmen, who were sworn into office on September 4, 2023, have a tenure that will end in 2025. He argued that their suspension by the House of Assembly was unconstitutional and invalid.

Ugiagbe referred to a ruling by the Edo State High Court, which had previously ordered the state government and the House of Assembly not to dissolve the democratically elected council executives before the end of their three-year term. He also noted that on December 17, 2024, the ALGON served a reminder to the Speaker of the House about another court case, B/3070s/2024, in which the High Court issued an interim order. This order restrained the defendants from interfering with the chairmen’s constitutional rights and from obstructing or disturbing the management of local government assets and funds allocated to them.

He further cited a Supreme Court ruling in a case between the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Attorney-General of Abia State, which removed the authority of state governors and the House of Assembly to interfere in local government administration. Ugiagbe stated, “From the foregoing, the 18 Local government elected in the election of September 2, 2023, and sworn into office on September 4, 2024, 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.”

He continued, saying that the suspension action by the Edo State House of Assembly on December 17, 2024, was null and void because it had no legal basis and violated court orders.

In his statement, Ugiagbe called on security agencies and other government institutions responsible for maintaining law and order to protect the assets and buildings of the local government councils.

He requested that security personnel be deployed to all 18 local government secretariats to safeguard the Constitution of Nigeria, which he claimed was being obstructed by the actions of the Edo State House of Assembly.

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