By Mumini AbdulKareem
The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has
kicked against the recommendation by the state House of Assembly for
the suspension of the 16 local government council chairmen, demanding
its immediate retraction.
The party has also reported Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to the
Kwara State Police Command over disregard for rule of law and
relegation of court others.
In a letter dated June 19th, 2019 and addressed to the Commissioner of
Police, a virtual copy which was sighted by this reporter titled “Open
Brazen Disregard for the Rule of Law and Relegation of Court Orders”,
the party said the Kwara State House of Assembly towed the line of
unconstitutionality and perpetrated illegality not supported by any
known law and the constitution in their open brazen disregard to the
order of a competent court barring them from either suspending or
dissolving the local government council until the expiration of their
tenure in 2020.
Signed by its state Legal Adviser, O.M Aborisade, the party accused
the state government and legislature of executive rascality by waiving
aside a court judgement to illegally suspend the council chairmen and
councilors instead of appealing the issue.
“According to the House members, their action was precipitated upon a
baseless and unfounded petition which had not been investigated or the
council chairmen invited for questioning.”
The party however warned that the unlawful and illegal action will
aggravate the already heated polity in the state which can result to
unwarranted and avoidable political agitations
It therefore requested for the Police Commissioner to avail the
Governor the benefit of his sound security knowledge and expertise to
rescind the illegal suspension to douse the political tension already
generated in the state.
Earlier, the party had released a statement signed by its Chairman,
Engr. Kola Shittu, where it described the move by the legislature as
illegal and undemocratic, stressing that it was wrong for the House to
recommend the suspension of the council bosses on allegation of
financial misappropriation when they had not been properly
investigated or invited for questioning.
“It should be noted that neither the House nor the governor has the
power to suspend the council chairmen who were lawfully elected by
their people.
“The council chairman was lawfully elected in 2017 by the people for
a three-year tenure which will expire in 2020. Neither the governor
nor the State assembly has the power to suspend or sack them before
the expiration of their administrations.
“We wish to remind the lawmakers of a subsisting court order barring
neither the State Governor nor any of his representatives including
the State House of Assembly from suspending or dissolving elected
local government chairmen or interfere in their financial activities
until the lawful expiration of their tenure in 2020.
“It is also instructive to note that the Supreme Court had also
declared as illegal and unconstitutional the dissolution of local
government councils by State governor and the state assemblies.
“The decision of the Kwara State House of Assembly to suspend the
elected council chairmen, therefore, amounts to reckless disregard of
court order, abuse of power, and rape of democracy that must be
resisted by all lovers of democracy. We must not allow our democracy
to be subverted by anti-democratic elements.
“It is unfortunate that lawmakers who are supposed to be advocates of
justice and due process are the ones compromising the law and
perpetrating illegality to serve the interest of their paymasters.
“We wish to state that we are currently studying the situation and
will contest the suspension of the council chairmen and ensure that
justice is served.
“The party, therefore, urges Kwarans to disregard the illegal
suspension of the local government chairmen they freely elected into
office. As far as our laws are concerned, they remain the duly
elected chairmen and will remain so till their tenure expires next
year”, it added.
