Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, presided over by Justice Hassan Gegele has declared the appointment of caretaker chairmen for the 16 local government councils in the State as illegal, null and void.
An anti-corruption Civil Society Organization, the Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), had dragged the State government to court over the dissolution of democratically elected council chairmen and the appointment of caretaker committee by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
In his ruling , Justice Hassan Gegele , said that the Governor had no power to suspend democratically elected local government council executives and replace them with caretaker committees.
The court describe the governor’s action as an abuse of power.
Reacting to the judgment, the Kwara chapter of the People’s Democratic Party , PDP, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Tunde Ashaolu, said the ruling was a welcome development and victory for democracy and the rule of law.
In his comment ,Kwara state Attorney General and Commisssioner for Justice,Salman Jawondo said the state government will appeal the judgement in line with the provisions of 1999 constituion as amended.
COV/ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU