The Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) has condemned the Gombe State House of Assembly’s confirmation of previous local government chairmen as interim chairs of the state’s 11 local government areas.
At a news conference in Gombe, council members expressed concern about the government’s appointment of the 11 chairmen of the local government areas after the mandate of the elected chairman of the various local government areas expired.
It will be recalled that on December 19, 2022, the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Gombe State, issued a notification to all eleven (11) elected local government chairmen on the expiration of the terms of the local government councils and handing-over notes.
Their worry was that, in violation of the rules and procedures in place, the governor applied to and asked approval from the Gombe State House of Assembly on the 19th of December 2022, after the chairmen’s term had expired and the relevant ministry had announced it.
The text of the briefing was read by the Publicity Secretary of IPAC, Mr. Abubakar Muhammad Aliyu.
The local government is regarded as the third tier of Government in Nigeria.
“The provision of section 7 sub 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended is to the effect that.
“The system of the local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed.
“The local government is regarded as the third tier of Government in Nigeria.
“The provision of section 7 sub 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended is to the effect that.
“The system of the local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed,” said Mr. Aliyu.
The Publicity Secretary of the IPAC, who spoke on behalf of the council, said they were worried that the Gombe State House of Assembly approved the Executive Governor’s request to appoint the caretakers to supervise the administrative functions and affairs of the eleven (11) local government areas in Gombe State.
“The system of the local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed.
“The irregular interval for delay in conducting the local government election as well as the appointment of caretakers to serve and supervise the administrative functions of the local government as chairmen is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void,” said Mr. Aliyu.
According to him, the council wants the Gombe State Government to make arrangement for the conduct of local government elections in Gombe state.
Responding to questions from journalists, a former chairman of the IPAC in Gombe state, Mr. Salaeh Lawal, of the Labour Party, said appointments of caretaker chairmen may be acceptable in some states, but going by the constitution of Nigeria, it was wrong.
Mr. Lawal said 12 out of 18 political parties were opposing the decision to appoint caretakers for the local government areas.
He further said that if the decision was not reversed, the council would head to the courts to find redress.
