LGA Caretaker: Lagos PDP Berates Ambode Over Plan To Appeal Judgment

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News From The State Monday, October 26th, 2015

By Ayo Balogun, Lagos

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Lagos State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has berated plan by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to appeal the judgment of the High Court which nullified the existence of caretakers committees to run the affairs of Local Governments in Lagos State.

The party hailed the judgement of a Lagos High Court now compelling the APC-led State Government to conduct elections into the council areas of the state.

A statement from the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Taofiq Gani on Sunday said plans by Ambode to appeal the judgment further exposed the APC government as violators of the Rule of Law, wasteful and indeed jittery of elections at the grassroots.

The Party has thus called on Lagosians to shun dealings with the councils, as presently constituted, in order to demand compliance to the said judgment.

A Lagos High court presided over by justice Lawal, recently declared the caretaker committees of councils in Lagos State as unconstitutional and has directed that elections be conducted into the councils within 30 days.

“We hail this judgment and indeed it signals that we still have credible and brave judges in the state. This council polls impasse was created by former governor Fashola, a lawyer who ought to appreciate Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution by conducting the polls in October 2014 when the tenure of the council’s expired.

“By that section, only democratically elected local councils are recognised by the constitution. Governor Ambode is also not willing to conduct the polls. He should have done it within his first 100days. He has deliberately neglected the polls because the APC is not popular at the grassroots for such elections.

” Now the court has compelled them. Governor Ambode should not embark on prodigal governance by appealing the judgment. The judgment is clear and reflection of the rule of law. To spend over N200 million to appeal the judgment would be unfair to Lagos tax payers.

“We thus expect that the State House of Assembly to consequently exercise its oversight function to empower the LASIEC to conduct the polls as directed by the court,” it said.