Politics
LG crisis: Court urges Govt, sacked chairmen to explore amicable resolution
An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday adjourned till 21st February, 2020 the suit filed by the State Government in which it is seeking to restrain the sacked council chairmen from forcefully taking over the council secretariats in the state.
The sacked Council Chairmen under the aegis of Association of Local Government of Nigeria(ALGON) had sought to take control of the council secretariats by relying on a letter written by the Attorney General of the Federation,Abubakar Malami (SAN) and another by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, urging them to put effect to a judgement of the Supreme Court on local government administration in Ekiti State.
The Court presided by Justice Mahmood Abbas, lauded the parties for considering the option of amicable resolution of the matter, urging them to exercise maturity while discussing the option of amicable settlement.
Ruling on the application to allow for the parties to further explore the out-of-court settlement option, Justice Abbas adjourned the matter till February 21, warning all parties to see what they could do to arrive at an amicable resolution.
Oyo State Government and ALGON had, at the last adjourned date on February 5, 2020, declared the readiness to explore an out-of-court settlement, with the Court adjoining till February 12 to allow for that option.
The parties had, on Wednesday, approached the court to report the outcome of the out-of-court settlement option, which was agreed upon at the February 5, 2020 sitting.
In their presentations, counsels to the claimant/applicant(the State Government), Dr. Akin Onigbinde (SAN) and the counsels to the defendants(ALGON and others), reported on the meetings held to explore the out-of-court settlement option, noting that a settlement could not be reached on the matter so far.
Dr. Onigbinde stated that though the parties could not reach a conclusion on the amicable resolution of the dispute, the process could not be described as having failed, because some proposals were made, which the Government looked at and registered its difficulty in accepting.
“There was no failure of the first attempt. There is always a progression in this type of negotiation. It is not the day you start that you conclude. Actually, we have made some progress because there were certain proposals made, which we have looked at. We have registered our difficulty in accepting them. Now, we have another opportunity to look at those proposals again. So, it cannot be characterised as a failure. I will consider it as a stage in the process of what we are trying to achieve,” he said.
The counsel to the sacked chairmen, Mr. Kunle Sobaloju, maintained that though the parties could not come to an amicable resolution at the two meetings between last Saturday and Monday, his clients were not opposed to the out-of-court-settlement option.
He added that he would not be opposing the application to further explore that option, because the resolution of the matter would be in the interest of the state.
The Court lauded the parties for considering the option of amicable settlement, urging them to exercise maturity while discussing the option of settlement.
The presiding judge maintained that parties in the matter were stakeholders in the Oyo State project, noting that they would have to take the most valuable decision in the matter with a view to amicably resolving the crisis in the interest of the state.
He added that all parties in the matter must exercise a lot of maturity while discussing amicable resolution, noting that settlement “means a little compromise here and there.”
He said: “I did say during the last adjournment that all parties in this case are stakeholders in the Oyo State project… So, all parties must exercise a lot of maturity. The only duty of this court is to listen to all facts as you bring them and apply the law. The law is there, nobody can change it. The court cannot change the law. But the most valuable decision in this case will be taken by the parties.”
Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has declared his willingness to step aside in the 2027 elections if a stronger candidate emerges to lead the party.
Adebayo made this statement on Sunday during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television, monitored by Mega Icon Magazine.
“Everybody knows that I have an aspiration. I’m working on it, but God is the author of tomorrow; we don’t even know who is going to be around in 2027,” he said.
The lawyer and politician emphasised that his ambition would not stand in the way of a more capable leader who could address Nigeria’s challenges.
“It is my prayer to God that if there is a person who God thinks is better than me to fix the problem of Nigeria, my ambition should not stop that person because we want a country that works. That is the kind of thing we are working on at this time,” he added.
Adebayo assured Nigerians that the SDP would present a candidate worthy of national support, capable of unseating President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election.
He further stressed that the SDP would avoid divisive politics based on religion and ethnicity.
“What used to be an easy discussion – with religion and ethnicity – has become explosive now. So, we will not use the SDP forum to try to bifurcate our people into different zones,” he noted.
According to him, the party aims to produce a candidate whose emergence will be met with widespread approval.
“When we make a choice in the SDP, there will be resounding joy outside the SDP, and Nigerians will say: ‘Okay, finally, this platform has given the country a chance’,” Adebayo said.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Engr Aderemi Oseni, has congratulated the Oyo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Moshood Olayide-Abas on his appointment as the Board Chairman of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Oseni, who also serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), described Olajide’s appointment as a recognition of his dedication to the party and his contributions to its growth in Oyo State.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, the lawmaker commended President Tinubu for considering competent and loyal party members for key federal appointments.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our leader, Prince Abas Olajide on this well-deserved appointment. His leadership and commitment to the APC in Oyo State have been exemplary. I have no doubt that he will bring the same level of dedication to this new role,” Oseni stated.
He also congratulated other notable figures from Oyo State who were appointed to federal boards, urging them to justify the confidence reposed in them by delivering on their mandates.
“This is not just an opportunity but a call to service. I encourage all appointees to work diligently in support of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he added.
Oseni expressed optimism that these appointments would further strengthen governance at the national level and reinforce the APC’s political structure in Oyo State.
Less than a month after former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the party’s North-West leadership has denied that he is a registered member.
In a statement issued in Kaduna, the North-West Assistant Secretary of the SDP, Idris Inuwa, asserted that neither the ward nor the state chapter of the party has any record of El-Rufai’s membership.
“It has come to our notice that certain individuals, including Nasir El-Rufai, are being rumoured to have joined the SDP. However, neither the chairman of Kaduna North Local Government in Kaduna State nor the leadership of Unguwar Sarki ward has any record of these memberships,” he stated.
Inuwa, therefore, urged El-Rufai and other prospective members to follow the proper membership process if they wish to officially join the SDP.
“We advise him and any other interested individuals to adhere to the established procedures for membership registration,” he added.
Furthermore, the North-West Zonal Assistant Secretary rejected the dissolution of the Kaduna State working committee of the SDP by the party’s National Working Committee.
“While we recognise the growing interest of individuals and groups in joining the SDP, we emphasise that there are well-defined guidelines and constitutional provisions governing membership admission. The Kaduna State chapter of SDP remains open to all prospective members who comply with the established procedures,” Inuwa stated.
It will be recalled that El-Rufai resigned his membership of the APC and defected to the SDP on 10 March 2025.
In his resignation statement, El-Rufai cited concerns over what he described as the “capricious trajectory” of the ruling party, which he alleged the leadership had failed to address.
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