The Oyo State Government has explained why Governor Seyi Makinde sacked chairmen of local government and local councils development areas.
His Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, spoke in reaction to a petition by the sacked chairmen to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The chairmen, under the auspices of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), in a letter signed by their chairman, Mr. Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, and secretary, Mr. Olayinka Jesutoye, urged the president to call the Oyo governor to order.
They referred to a subsisting court judgement which had restrained any governor from sacking them and asked the president to “advise the governor to respect the will of the people of Oyo to have the councils run by elected chairmen and councillors.”
They further alleged persistent threats from the governor and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to forcefully take over the administration of the councils, a situation they said might lead to the breakdown of law and order.
Reacting, Adisa, in a statement, said: “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 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.”
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