AGF Directs Makinde To Reverse Dissolution Of Oyo State LGAs
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has directed the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to reverse himself over the dissolution of local council administration in the state.
The directive was contained in a letter to the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, Prof. Oyewo Oyelowo, dated January 14, 2020, with reference HAGF/OYO/2020/Vol.I/I. Entitled “Unconstitutionality of dissolution of elected local councils and appointment of caretaker committee: the urgent need for compliance with extant judicial decisions.”
The AGF said in view of the decision of the Supreme Court on the matter that is binding on all 36 states of the federation, “the common practice by some state governors in dissolving elected local councils is unconstitutional, null and void. So also, any system of local council-run by caretaker committee is outrightly illegal and unconstitutional.”
“To this end, I hereby request all their excellencies, state governors and speakers of state Houses of Assembly, who are currently acting in breach of the provisions of Section 7 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and also acting in disobedience of the Supreme Court judgment highlighted above to immediately retrace their steps by ensuring compliance with the above in the overall interest of the rule of law and our democracy. The need to immediately disband all caretaker committees and restore democratically-elected representatives to man the local councils has, therefore, become obligatory,” the letter read.
Malami also requested the Justice Commissioner to take positive steps to ensure compliance, adding that the President and other relevant agencies will be advised further on compliance measures that should be taken in the national interest”.
Copies of the letter were sent to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Director-General (DG), Department of State Services (DSS), the Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
But reacting to the development, Chairman of ALGON, Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, described the decision as a welcome development.
