Politics
LG Caretaker Committee: PDP, Makinde Cannot Continue In Impunity – Oyo ALGON
On illegal dissolution of Councils and State Independent Electoral Commissions,The Supreme Court recently held in *Oni & Ors V Governor of Ekiti State & Anor (2019) 5NWLR Part 1664, Pg 1@27* that:
“The tenure of the Governor of a State under the 1999 constitution, as well as that of the legislature is 4 years. However, the constitution grants members of a State Independent Electoral Commission a tenure of 5 years. *It ought not to escape attention that the deliberate purpose of the constitution is to create an Electoral Commission, the lifespan of which exceeds those of both the Governor and the State Legislature. This is done with the view to create continuity and stability in the electoral process and governance. The same is done in relation to the State Civil Service Commission, and the State Judicial Service Commission. It is not the intendment of the constitution that the membership of the Commissions should change with the fortunes of the political parties in a state* ”
This emphatic pronouncement of the Supreme Court remains the law of our land, but it seems our Governor is fabricating his own law to contradict and despise our Supreme Court. The first action of the Governor upon being sworn in was to dissolve elected Local Government Councils, dissolve all statutory Commissions including OYSIEC, Civil Service Commission and Judicial Service Commission, among many others contrary to all existing laws. Is this the PDP interpretation of their obedience to the rule of law,.. by despising the Supreme Court and yet threatening to carry out more impunity? The PDP in a disingenuous attempt to justify illegality keep shooting themselves in the foot. While on one hand seeking to invalidate the Local Government elections on grounds that it was conduted in defiance of a non-existent court injunction, they claim to invalidate the election also by reason that it was conducted into both LGs and LCDAs. Such foolery calls one to ask them the question that if PDP claims to nullify by their “militarized decree” a valid election on the ground that it was held in 68 LGs and LCDAs (which they falsely claim is unconstitutional) rather than just 33 LGs, will it not be a fallacy for the same Governor to now be trying to illegally appoint caretakers to the LCDAs they claim elections ought not to have been conducted? If their claim is that LCDAs are unconstitutional, why dont they then cancel the LCDAs totally then if they are unconstitutional? Can they also appoint Caretaker Heads to the same allegedly unconstitutional LCDA they claim elections cannot be held? More importantly, has any court in Nigeria at any level declared any elected LCDA leadership in other states unconstitutional? The more questions we ask, the more their rascality becomes apparent. It is sad that for selfish and crude partisanship, this government applies selective interpretation to the same constitution it swore to uphold. Does it mean that what they claim is unconstitutional for APC will suddenly become constitutional for PDP? Such is the one chance bus parked in Agodi now.
Interestingly at a recent outing by the Governor, while addressing members of the legal profession, he promised to abide by the laws of our land and obey the courts. Except this is a rethink of his position perhaps realizing he was speaking to a body of lawyers, the reality on ground is that the Governor has acted in total opposite of what he said and continues to threaten more disobedience to the courts. Today there is no law in Oyo State providing Caretaker appointments over Local Governments and any such act by the Governor or the House of Assembly is pure illegality. Further, the Supreme Court and the Oyo State High Court judgments have clearly set aside the regime of Caretakers, illegal dissolution of Councils and hostile takeovers of Local Councils by any sitting Governor. Is this the legacy this administration now seeks to bequeath on the state?
They take glee in referring to the former Governor Ajimobi as “Constituted Authority”, yet this incumbent Governor carries on with an “Unconstitutional Authority”, acting illegally, with his party the PDP, dancing on the shallow grave they have dug to bury our hard fought democracy, and our constitution. The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Bisi Ilaka recently claimed the proposed Caretakers will only be ‘for a short while’. What a laughable admission of guilt. So to him, their short term illegality is preferred by this government to a tenured constitutional term provided elected Chairmen under our laws?…such a shame coming from the people we call leaders to defend our constitution. Let the usurpers note that under the NFIU financial guidelines issued on management of Local Government funds, a Caretaker Head (not being an elected Chairman, especially where a court has even declared such illegal as in Oyo State) is not constitutionally empowered to approve and deal with Council funds and any such proposed nominee shall face the whip of the law accordingly.
It was President John Kennedy that said at a time of great disregard for law and court orders in his country, in 1962 that:
“.. *in a government of laws and not of men, no man, however prominent or powerful, and no mob however unruly or boisterous, is entitled to defy a court of law. If this country should ever reach the point where any man or group of men by force or threat of force could long defy the commands of our court and our Constitution, then no law would stand free from doubt, no judge would be sure of his writ, and no citizen would be safe from his neighbors* .” Let the Governor’s public speak align with his demostrated action. Acting contrary to a public claim of abiding with the rule of law,while continuing to act in disobedience to court judgments is being a hypocrite.
As recently as last week, the Supreme Court again reiterated their position that Caretakers are an anomaly and an unconstitutional illegality. The court described as “ *executive recklessness* ” the now rampant acts of governors dissolving democratically-elected local government councils in their states and replacing them with Caretaker Committees.
The court also nullified the provisions of the laws enacted by States’ Houses of Assembly empowering Governors to carry out such dissolution and replacing them with Caretaker Committees.
This is regrettably the anarchy the Governor and House of Assembly want to unleash on us. We sound a note of warning on the Speaker and members of the Oyo State House of Assembly, the Attorney General of Oyo State (whose responsibility it is to properly advise and guide the government), and other state functionaries to cease and desist from their direct disobedience to an extant judgement of the Oyo State High court declaring Caretakers illegal and restraining the government from appointing any such Caretakers, even if the Governor is foisting the illegality on them because he has immunity under the law. We shall not fail to, among other legal steps we shall take, cite for contempt the Attorney General, members of the House, nominee Caretakers and any officer that carries out or conspires with the Governor to undermine the jurisdiction of our courts. We will continue to stand on the side of the law and with the Supreme Court in defending our constitution as decided in the cases quoted above. We remain resolute on the side of a permanent change in Oyo State from brigandage to constitutionality.
Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye
ALGON Chairman, Oyo State Chapter
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, announced the result at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, saying Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rivals and secure a second term in office.
According to Oladiji, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Oluwole Oluyede, garnered 40,543 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Dare Bejide, secured 12,872 votes.
She said 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, while 375,777 valid votes were recorded. The electoral umpire also announced that 6,332 votes were rejected, bringing the total number of votes cast to 382,109.
The declaration capped a governorship poll largely adjudged peaceful by observers and security agencies, despite complaints of malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines, delayed commencement of voting in some polling units and allegations of voter intimidation by opposition parties.
INEC said voting was conducted in all the 2,445 polling units across the state’s 16 local government areas, noting that 2,257 units, representing 92.31 per cent, opened before 8.30 a.m., while 188 polling units commenced accreditation and voting before 10.30 a.m. after experiencing minor delays.
The commission also commenced uploading polling unit results to its Results Viewing Portal shortly after the completion of voting and counting in several centres.
The PDP candidate, Oluyede, had expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the exercise at Ugele/Arokun Ward in Ikere Local Government Area, alleging that many prospective voters were disenfranchised due to BVAS-related challenges.
Speaking with journalists after voting at Polling Unit 006, he further alleged cases of harassment and intimidation of voters in the area.
Some elderly voters at the polling unit also lamented difficulties encountered during accreditation and urged INEC to urgently rectify the technical glitches.
The ADC candidate, Bejide, similarly alleged irregularities during the exercise.
However, Oyebanji dismissed the claims, insisting that those making allegations of electoral misconduct should provide credible evidence to support them.
The governor, who voted at Polling Unit 003, Okelele, Ikogosi-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, described the election as satisfactory and urged eligible voters yet to cast their ballots to do so peacefully.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of election security, Abayomi Shogunle, said no case of vote-buying was reported to security agencies throughout the exercise.
Election observers commended the peaceful atmosphere that characterised the poll but raised concerns over procedural inconsistencies.
The First Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sebastian Anyia, described the process as orderly and peaceful, saying voter turnout was encouraging.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Brenda Anugwom, lauded the resilience of female voters, many of whom remained at polling units for several hours with their children to exercise their franchise.
Yiaga Africa, however, expressed concern over discrepancies involving ballot papers, result sheets and INEC’s published list of candidates, warning that such inconsistencies could create challenges during collation and reconciliation of results.
The election observer group urged INEC to provide further clarification on the final list of participating parties and candidates and issue clear guidance to electoral officials handling result documentation.
Ahead of the poll, INEC and security agencies had repeatedly assured residents of their preparedness to deliver a peaceful, credible and transparent election, deploying personnel and restricting vehicular movement to forestall electoral violence and other offences.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has rejected plans by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde to conduct another local government election on December 26, 2026, describing the proposed exercise as illegal, premature and a calculated move to retain political influence at the grassroots beyond the governor’s tenure.
The party declared that it would neither participate in the election nor remain silent over what it termed an attempt to squander public resources on a process allegedly designed to install loyalists in the 33 local government councils and 351 wards across the state.
The controversy followed the decision of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to shift the date earlier fixed for January 2027 to December 26, 2026, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The move has continued to generate debate among political observers, many of whom have questioned the urgency of conducting another council poll barely six months before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent chairmen and councillors elected in the 2024 local government elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC said it would not stop at boycotting the election but would also collaborate with “patriots and rational minds” to resist what it called an unnecessary expenditure of taxpayers’ money.
The party accused Governor Makinde of lacking commitment to local government autonomy, alleging that the administration had exercised undue control over council resources for more than seven years.
“The whole world knows that Governor Makinde does not believe in local government autonomy and, when it comes to democracy at the grassroots, he cannot be trusted for anything,” the statement said.
The APC alleged that the proposed poll was aimed at positioning individuals loyal to the governor in local councils before his exit from office on May 29, 2027, arguing that such a move would enable him to sustain political influence after leaving the Agodi Government House.
According to the opposition party, expectations among many residents are centred on ongoing efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen local government autonomy and ensure that councils enjoy direct access to their statutory allocations without interference from state governments.
The APC also linked what it described as poor development outcomes in some rural communities to the operation of the state-local government joint account system. It cited communities such as Ahoro Esiele and Yawota in Oriire Local Government Area, which have reportedly faced security challenges, as examples of areas where local government resources should have translated into visible improvements.
“It is sad that Governor Makinde appears determined to sustain a system that has left many rural communities vulnerable despite huge allocations accruing to local governments monthly,” the party said.
The opposition further dismissed the local government elections conducted in 2020 and 2024 as lacking credibility, alleging that winners emerged through predetermined outcomes rather than a transparent electoral process.
“The fraud called local government polls in 2020 and 2024 should be the last the people of Oyo State would witness. Governor Makinde and his supporters should bury any thought of staging another charade in which results are announced without genuine voting and public offices become tools for the diversion of public funds,” the statement added.
The APC consequently urged officials of OYSIEC to halt preparations for the proposed December election, warning against actions capable of undermining democratic values and public confidence in the electoral process.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Oyo State Government nor OYSIEC had issued an official response to the allegations raised by the opposition party.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Aderemi Oseni, on Saturday mobilised thousands of artisans and traders across Oyo State in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Oseni said the support base of the Remi Oseni Committee of Friends (ROCOF), in collaboration with other stakeholders, was intensifying efforts to deliver one million votes for the President in the state.
Oseni, Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said artisans and traders must see themselves as critical stakeholders in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the success of the administration depends largely on grassroots participation.
The federal lawmaker spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during a stakeholders’ engagement with members of the ROCOF Progressive Workers and Traders’ Associations.
In a symbolic show of political readiness, scores of traders and artisans displayed their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), while Oseni urged eligible Nigerians yet to register to obtain their voter cards ahead of the next general election.
He cautioned against vote-buying and vote-selling, warning that such practices threaten the future of democracy and mortgage the destiny of younger generations.
The meeting, according to Oseni, was also convened to deepen economic support for members through empowerment programmes targeted at strengthening businesses and improving livelihoods.
He announced that requests for a N250 million interest-free loan scheme for artisans and traders, construction of an artisans’ village with stable electricity supply, and health insurance support had received approval.
According to him, the loan facility will be administered through a microfinance bank under the Remi Oseni Foundation to ensure transparency, accessibility and sustainability.
He added that road and infrastructure projects across communities would remain a major priority.
Oseni, who is seeking to represent Oyo South Senatorial District in the next election cycle, also used the meeting to explain his decision to pursue a Senate seat instead of his earlier governorship ambition.
He said the move followed consultations with party leaders and supporters.
According to him, supporters deserved clarity on the political direction of the movement.
He said: “We convened this stakeholders’ meeting to review our present position. Before now, our focus was on leading Oyo State through the governorship. That was our clear objective as a movement, but today, it has become evident that God is directing us towards the Senate.
“Our people needed to understand the reasons for this decision, the position of the party and what we have accepted in the overall interest of our political future. It is not enough for leaders to take decisions. We owe our supporters explanations and must carry them along.
“We have encouraged them to embrace this opportunity in good faith and believe that greater opportunities still lie ahead.
“Many of them felt our governorship ambition would have delivered greater benefits, but we have reassured them that the government remains supportive and the future is bright.
“We have equally assured the President that our decision to pursue the Oyo South Senate seat will not affect the one million votes earlier promised him, because ROCOF structures across the 33 local government areas are fully mobilised and committed to his re-election.”
On the crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oseni said efforts were ongoing to reconcile aggrieved members, expressing confidence that outstanding differences would soon be resolved.
He described competing interests within the party as a reflection of the APC’s growing strength and political attractiveness.
Earlier, the Oyo State Coordinator of ROCOF Progressive Workers and Traders’ Associations, Alhaji Munirudeen Adegoke, described Oseni’s empowerment drive as a strategic investment capable of reducing unemployment, youth restiveness and poverty.
Adegoke said meaningful empowerment for artisans and traders must go beyond temporary palliatives.
According to him, sustainable support requires deliberate policies that guarantee access to capital, improved infrastructure and social protection.
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