PDP Reacts as Edo Assembly Suspends 18 LG Chairmen Over Alleged Defiance of Okpebholo

A motion suspending the chairmen and vice chairmen of the state’s 18 local government councils for a period of two months was approved by the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday.

Leaders of the legislative arms were also required by the House to assume control of their respective councils.

Following a motion proposed by Isibor Adeh, the member representing Esan North East 1, and seconded by Mr. Donald Okogbe, the member representing Akoko-Edo 2, the council chairmen and their deputies were suspended.

The House had previously received a petition from Governor Monday Okpebholo over the chairmen’s failure to provide the state government with the financial records of their local government.

The governor asked the House to investigate the issue in the letter, calling the LG chairmen’s rejection an act of serious misconduct and insubordination.

The move to suspend the LG chairmen was backed by 14 members, opposed by 6 politicians, and neutral by 3 lawmakers when the issue was put to a vote on Tuesday.

Blessing Agbebaku, the Speaker of the House, instructed the members that they must all talk about the issue.

“I will beg all members of the House to speak on this issue before a decision is made,” the Speaker stated.

The Speaker gave Yahaya Omogbai, the Clerk of the House, instructions to calculate the number of members who agreed or disagreed with the suspension of the council’s chairman and their deputies after everyone had had a chance to speak.

The state’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party denounced the 18 local government chairman’s suspension.

The Edo PDP Caretaker Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, issued a statement in which the party claimed that the suspension was unlawful and that the chairman and their vice were not given the chance to defend themselves.
“The unconstitutional suspension of the chairmen of Edo State’s 18 Local Government Areas by the Edo State House of Assembly, as directed by Governor Monday Okpebholo, is strongly condemned by the Edo State branch of the Peoples Democratic Party.

We want to make it very apparent that this action is unlawful and unconstitutional.

“The unlawful suspension is a flagrant disregard for the Supreme Court’s decision in a suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, which upheld the autonomy and independence of local governments as guaranteed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution, as well as the recent ruling of Justice Daniel Okungbowa, the Chief Judge of Edo State.”

Given the Supreme Court’s ruling giving LGs autonomy, the PDP argued that Governor Okpebholo lacked the authority to request the LGA’s financial statements.

Since democratically elected chairmen of the 18 local councils enjoy constitutionally guaranteed autonomy and independence and are not subordinate to the governor, the State Assembly, or any other branch of government, how can a governor order the State Assembly to suspend them for insubordination?

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We also know that, in complete violation of the Constitution, the chairmen and their vices were suspended without being given a chance to defend themselves and were falsely accused of trivial offenses.

We would want to emphasize once more that the Constitution is still supreme and that any attempt to subvert its provisions or to ignore the court and its decisions is not only unlawful but also an outright assault on democracy and the rule of law.

“With regard to the rule of law and democratic governance, we implore the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and the entire Assembly to immediately reverse its decision, as they have manifestly overreached their constitutional mandates with this unlawful action.”

One of the LG chairmen stated in an interview that the state’s Association of Local Government of Nigeria would express his stance in the next few days, but he remained nameless because he was not authorized to discuss the issue.

We received notice of the suspension, but as I am not the state’s ALGON chairman, I am unable to comment on the situation,” he said.

“But in the next few days, we will make our stance clear.”