Abuja, Nigeria
Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, has criticised the Edo State House of Assembly’s decision to suspend the chairpersons of the state’s 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The assembly suspended the chairpersons and their deputies for two months on Tuesday, citing alleged gross misconduct following a petition from Governor Monday Okpebholo, who accused the chairpersons of failing to submit their councils’ financial records to the state government.
However, Fagbemi, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, argued that state houses of assembly do not have the authority to suspend or remove council chairpersons.
He emphasized that under the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, such actions must follow due process and that only the legislature at the local government level has the legal right to remove or suspend council chairpersons.
“I am aware that since July 11, when the supreme court delivered a landmark judgment, local government administration has taken a new turn, different from the old order,” he said.
“At any rate, we are still studying the situation, but before final reaction, it must be stated categorically and emphatically that for now, local government chairmen can only be removed through the legislative arm of the local government itself and not the state house of assembly.”
