Kwara LG Poll: KWSG may appoint TIC as aspirants intensify lobby for appointment

By Mumini AbdulKareem
There were strong indications that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq may settle for a Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) as the tenure of the suspended council chairmen elapse November 18, 2020.
The embattled chairmen were suspended by the Governor following the recommendation of the Kwara State House of Assembly which indicted them of alleged fraud and misappropriation of council funds.
Elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the decampment to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by the embattled chairmen could not avert the extension of their suspension for another six months by the Governor recently.
It was gathered that the appointment of TIC by the Governor is to guard against the possibility of a vacancy at the council administration before the election.
A staff of the dissolved Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC), told National Pilot that the governor is planning to hold the council election around March next year.
“You know there is supposed to be three months notice to KWSIEC regarding the conduct of the election. But that can no longer be achieved with the present development, as one of the staff who was affected by the dissolution, took the government to the industrial court and got judgment against the administration.
“Now, the tenure of the suspended chairmen will end this month and there should not be a vacuum in the local government council administration. The feelers we are getting which have been confirmed by top officials of the government is that the governor will hold the election next year around March”, the source added.
Meanwhile, interested aspirants have commenced strong lobby for possible TIC appointment across their respective councils in the sixteen local government areas for possible appointment.
Two frontline aspirants who reacted to the issue last on Sunday, Moshood Alaka and AbdulHamid Oladipupo Ali (Mr Nigeria) from Moro and Ilorin West respectively canvassed on the need for the governor to appoint a credible and competent person who will use his administration of the council to support the goal and vision in the area of good governance citizen’s welfare in the state.
According to Alaka, although “We have not been informed officially (about the caretaker arrangement), there are certain things that we need to put on ground if there is going to be election.
“The tenure of the suspended chairmen will expire on the 18th of this month and I don’t think there is going to be a vacuum… there is a law that is guiding the election which states that there must be about three months notice for KWSIEC”, he added.
For his part, Ali in an open letter to Governor Abdulrazaq on the issue which was made available to National Pilot on Sunday noted “ahead of the forthcoming replacement of our Council Chairman at the expiration of their tenure in November 2020, …there is every likelihood that a Transition Implementation Council (TIC), will emerge ahead of the expected Local Government elections across the State.
“It is my belief that the change We desire for the development of our state in general and our beloved Local Government in particular, should start manifesting from the set of leaders who will replace the outgoing suspended chairmen. Although, His Excellency may not be able to know who is credible amongst those aspiring for the position in each Local Government, the committee in place of such selection should be charged with the responsibility of engaging all aspirants in a kind of contest, not limited to only academic credentials, political interest or Zoning formula, but also the overall leadership experience which could go with the responsibilities of such exalted office. This is the only way the best hands to work in consonance with Your Excellency’s principles of an emerging New Kwara could emerge”.