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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
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday held a high-level strategic meeting with the Oyo State chapter of the party as part of efforts to reposition the APC for victory and prevent internal crisis ahead of the polls.
The development was first scooped by OYOINSIGHT.COM which quoted multiple party sources familiar with the closed-door deliberations.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, held in Abuja, focused largely on a consensus arrangement being considered by stakeholders of the party in Oyo State, in line with political templates reportedly being adopted in Lagos and Ogun states ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Party insiders said the move was aimed at strengthening unity within the fold of the opposition party in the state, minimising rancour during the primaries and presenting a formidable front against rival parties in 2027.
It was further gathered that some members of the state executive committee may have been subtly informed about preferred consensus candidates being considered for elective positions across the state.
Though details of the deliberations were still sketchy as of press time, sources hinted that the national leadership stressed the need for cohesion, discipline and strategic alignment among stakeholders to improve the party’s electoral fortunes in Oyo.
Those at the meeting included the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the state secretary, Fatai Adesina Adeniyi; the Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare; the Organising Secretary, Aderemi Adepoju; and the Legal Adviser, Sunday Aborisade.
Others were the Women Leader, Adekemi Opatunde; the Youth Leader, Olalekan Oladejo; Joshua Oyebamiji; Tunde Oloyede; Sunday Babalola; Joseph Omoniyi; and Mojeed Adebayo.
As of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to issue an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, on Monday assured aspirants and party members that the party would conduct transparent, peaceful and credible direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo declared that no aspirant would be victimised or denied a level playing field, stressing that the party leadership remained committed to internal democracy and progressive ideals.
The former deputy governor spoke while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
He disclosed that although the party initially explored consensus arrangements across elective positions, prevailing realities indicated that direct primaries would be conducted in some areas, including the governorship contest.
Adeyemo said the party had already put necessary structures in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise capable of strengthening unity within the APC.
He said: “We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket.
“To this end, we shall work towards organising free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.
“Where we have more than an aspirant, Abuja would send people to conduct primaries and we at the state level would provide the required support to make everything work out in the interest of our great party.”
The APC chairman explained that all registered party members would participate fully in the exercise at their respective wards on dates to be announced by the National Secretariat.
According to him, affirmation would be adopted in areas where consensus candidates emerge, while voting would be conducted wherever direct primaries become necessary.
“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party faithful that the committee would carry out a thorough, transparent and unbiased screening process.
He said only eligible aspirants would be cleared to participate in the primaries and eventually fly the APC flag in the forthcoming elections.
Other members of the Screening Committee are Kamal Sanusi (Secretary), Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.
Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole (Chairman), Abimbola Jack (Secretary) and Jelil Jimoh.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Saturday zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, declaring that the party’s candidate would serve a single four-year term if elected.
The decision was reached during the party’s national convention held in Abuja amid growing momentum within the opposition platform following a wave of high-profile defections from other political parties.
Announcing the development on its official social media handle, the party stated, “NDC presidential ticket is zoned to the South!!”
The party also resolved that its 2031 presidential ticket would be ceded to Northern Nigeria as part of efforts to maintain regional balance and internal equity.
The convention comes as key opposition figures, including former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined party leaders and delegates at the Abuja gathering.
Saturday’s convention is expected to ratify several recent decisions taken by the party’s National Executive Committee, including zoning arrangements, amendments to the party constitution, and the election of new national executives.
According to the convention agenda obtained by journalists, discussions centred on zoning, ratification of the amended constitution, and leadership restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC has in recent weeks witnessed a surge in defections from rival opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
On Tuesday, no fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives defected from the ADC to the NDC.
Their defections were formally announced during plenary at the House of Representatives.
The lawmakers include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, Murphy Omoruyi and Abdulhakeem Ado.
The defections came barely two days after Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC from the ADC.
The duo were presented with the party’s membership cards last Sunday shortly after a closed-door meeting with party leaders.
A former Governor of Bayelsa State and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, officially welcomed the opposition figures into the party.
Obi had attributed his exit from the ADC to worsening internal crises, external interference and what he described as increasing hostility within party structures.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s political environment had become increasingly toxic, marked by intimidation, insecurity and sustained scrutiny of opposition figures.
He also lamented that institutions meant to protect citizens were now often deployed against them, while individuals committed to genuine public service faced mounting pressure both publicly and privately.
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