Oyo government defends sack of LG, LCDA chairmen, faults their elections

The Oyo State Government on Friday said that the chairmen of the 33 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 35 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) were sacked because the election that led to their emergence was illegal.

Chief Bisi Ilaka, the Chief of Staff to Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, made the assertion in an interview with journalists in Ibadan.

Justifying the action of the state government, Ilaka said that the local government election that was conducted by the last dispensation was illegal as it contravened court order.

He said the new administration in the state was committed to rewrite all the wrongs of the last administration and that the Seyi Makinde led government was ready to obey court orders that were valid.

”We have nothing to hide and this government is waiting for them to challenge the decision of this administration.

”All security agencies have been informed about the development.” Ilaka stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Seyi Makinde, had on Wednesday evening announced the sack of all the council chairmen.

Makinde directed the sacked chairmen to hand over to their Heads of Local Government Administration (HLA) or the most senior Directors in their local government areas and councils.

He further placed embargo on all local and state government accounts until further directives.

In reaction, the sacked chairmen had vowed not to vacate office as directed by the governor.

Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, who spoke on behalf of the sacked chairmen, said the purported sack was illegal, undemocratic, violation of rule of law and contempt of a subsisting court injunction against such sack.

He said the action of the governor was unconstitutional because the chairmen were democratically elected.

Abass-Aleshinloye further said that Justice AA Aderemi of the State High Court had on May 6, granted an injunction restraining the state governor and government agencies from dissolving the LGAs and LCDAs.