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The Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde has revealed why council chairmen elected by the immediate past administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi were sacked.
Speaking to journalists in Ibadan, on behalf of the Governor on Friday, the Chief Press Secretary, Mr Taiwo Adisa rubbished claims by the council bosses, saying that “there are strong suspicion that all the orchestrated campaigns are meant to distract the smooth take-off of the new administration but we will not be distracted.”
Adisa further gave legal reasons as to why the government is insisting that the council chairmen remain sacked.
According to him: “Let me state that the government of the Oyo State committed no illegality in dissolving the councils. Rather, the government took the step in defence of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The laws say that you cannot create local governments by whatever name called, without a recourse to constitutional procedures.
“The immediate past state government went ahead to create LCDAs in total disregard for the constitution. They also jointly conducted elections into the recognised councils and the LCDAs the same day. By that singular act, they have tainted the elections conducted into the 33 local governments with illegality. You cannot mix apple and oranges together and call it a basket of apples or a basket of oranges. So the state is out to stop the illegality.
“Also, remember that the council chairmen were guilty of what lawyers call forum shopping in trying to vacate the injunction that was issued to stop the conduct of the elections by rushing to a different court to get an order.
“A court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot vacate an injunction issued by its peer. It is an aberration in law and a violation of the law of natural justice. The state government cannot close its eyes and allow the perpetuation of judicial karate in the name of politics. So the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, had to announce the dissolution of the councils to ensure sanity and to bring everyone to the path of constitutionality.
“Let me, however, state that the government will not condone any form of brigandage on this issue.
“The constitution states that you cannot create local government areas without recourse to the National Assembly. If you do that, it is inchoate like the Supreme Court said in the case of Lagos state. So when you do something like that and conduct elections into the councils, you have violated the constitution ab initio.”
