By Mumini AbdulKareem
The Kwara State chapter of the Labor Party on Friday rejected the proposed Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) to take over the running of the councils.
The chairman of the party, Comrade Bisiriyu Balogun said this during a telephone chat with National Pilot on the issue adding that its alliance with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not a yardstick to condone the unconstitutional act of the government.
He further said other parties in Kwara State will come out with a resolution on the issue soonest.
He said: We call on the governor to conduct the local government election; we don’t want any caretaker committee. Caretaker is not part of our constitution and we have said it over and over again. Despite the alliance with the APC during the last election, our stand is for the governor to conduct the local government election.
“Our party is different because of our alliance with the APC during the last governorship election, but that notwithstanding, we have to follow the constitution. Despite our alliance with the APC, Kwara Labour party still remain a state entity on its own and we have not changed our identity and will not change it which was clearly stated in the alliance we had which was for the purpose of the 2019 gubernatorial election based on request and yearnings then”, he noted.
“The alliance does not stop us from following the rule of law, it was just for the last election which is over already and now we are standing on the part of the constitution”, he added.
Balogun assured that his party is highly prepared and ready for the local government election in the state adding that “what we are waiting for is for the Governor to immediate constitute the KWSIEC who will set the time table for the election because all parties including Labour are ready to compete in the poll.
Recall that the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and its Social Democratic Party (SPD) counterpart had also rejected the proposed caretaker committee by the APC.
They both call on Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to jettison the idea of foisting appointed caretaker chairmen on the state after the expiration of the tenure of the suspended elected council chairmen last month.
Speaking through its chairman, Hon Lekan Alabi, the SDP vowed to drag the governor to court over the issue if insisted on going for a caretaker arrangement adding that the Supreme Court had give a pronouncement on it as unconstitutional.
