The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged plot to impeach local government chairpersons in the state.
Two weeks ago, the Edo State House of Assembly suspended all 18 chairpersons and their deputies over allegations of misappropriation of funds.
Blessing Agbebaku, Speaker of the House, said Monday Okpebholo, the state governor, filed a petition to the assembly over the refusal of the local government area heads to submit the financial records of their councils.
Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation, had condemned the action of the parliament, saying state houses of assembly have no powers to suspend or remove council chairpersons.
Last Friday, a high court in Edo state ordered the reinstatement of the suspended chairpersons and their deputies.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Anthony Aziegbemi, chairman of the PDP caretaker committee in Edo, claimed that Okpebholo is “sponsoring meetings across the local government area in a desperate bid to impeach the substantive chairmen”.
Aziegbemi alleged that Damian Lawani, chairman of the local government service commission; and Gani Audu, Okpebholo’s chief of staff, are “actively involved in these unlawful acts”.
“He (Audu) has been threatening and harassing councillors across the State, trying to force them to cut ties with the substantive elected local government chairmen, with the warning that their loyalty should be to the governor and nobody else,” the statement reads.
“Furthermore, Okpebholo has directed that under no circumstances must any council chairman be granted access to his office in the Council, ordering the Council Administrators to work in conjunction with all relevant security Agencies and their party thugs to achieve this devious plan.
“The plan we are aware is to lure or force the councillors to impeach the substantive chairmen (without recourse to the laid down process enshrined in our laws).“
Aziegbemi said there are attempts to “alter signatories to local government accounts as well as clandestine efforts to withdraw funds from local government accounts without a proper mandate”.
“There are also reports of illegal requests for sensitive council documents by unauthorized persons,” he said.
“This flagrant disregard for our judiciary and the subversion of the Constitution of our country is a serious threat to our democracy and if this lawlessness is allowed to continue, it will not only undermine the rule of law but will also create a dangerous precedent, weakening our entire legal and democratic system.
“What we are witnessing, and we say this with all sense of responsibility, is an attempt to unlawfully and illegally remove or overthrow an elected tier of government in Edo state, a component and federating unit of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, contrary to Section 1(2) of the Constitution and judicial orders. In other words, an attempted coup d’etat in the state.”
