Sacked local government councillors in Ondo State have expressed shock over the announcement of April 23, by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) as the date for local government elections, despite a case challenging the matter, which is still pending at the Supreme Court.
They said the decision of the state government to conduct the polls had amounted to an attempt to rape rule of law.
They questioned the government’s plan to conduct the polls, despite using the court case as the reason why it could not hold the election in the past seven years.
The embattled councillors, who are mainly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were elected in December 2007 during late Olusegun Agagu’s regime but were sent out of office by Mimiko in 2009.
Since then, they have been battling with their reinstatement which is already pending at the Supreme Court.
At a press conference held in Akure, the state capital, the Chairman of the Councillors’ forum, Hon. Yinka Akosile, denied a report credited to the Chairman of ODIEC, Prof. Olugbenga Ige that they were begging the government for compensation.
Akosile insisted that their prayer which is for their reinstatement is still intact at the law court.
He said “while making public the intention of the state government to conduct the local government election, the ODIEC chairman, Prof. Ige said the dissolved council officers were only clamoring for compensation.
“He averred that the matter was now at the Supreme Court. The ODIEC chairman, regrettably, said we have changed our pleas and that with change (amendment) in our prayers, the coast is clear for the state government to conduct council election”.
The forum chairman, however, confirmed that the governor met with them when he rejoined their party, PDP and appealed to them to drop the case since they were members of the same party.
He noted that they had an agreement with the government to pay their entitlements, which would warrant a settlement out of court.
Akosile, however, said if their proposed agreement cannot be attended to, the governor should allow the law to take its natural course.
Comments