The Peoples Democratic Party members in the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Sunday said the dissolution of the 16 Local Governments by the state government was illegal because the action was not approved by the legislature.



Fayemi had on Friday sacked all the 16 council chairmen and 177 councillors elected on the platform of the PDP in December 2008 for a three-year tenure.



The Leader of the PDP Caucus in the state assembly, Mr. Layi Oke, from Ijero constituency, told journalists in Ado-Ekiti that the caucus condemned the action because it was done without the approval of the House, as required by the law.



Oke said, “We just came back from Germany where we went on a legislative tour only to be informed that the governor had purportedly dissolved the local governments in a military manner, without recourse to the state house of assembly.



“The PDP Caucus in the Ekiti State House of Assembly wants to believe that the dissolution is not true because Governor Kayode Fayemi is a product and an advocate of law and due process.



“Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who became governor of Ekiti State through the judicial process, should and cannot do anything that negate the constitution of Nigeria.



“We still want to believe that the dissolution is a rumour, but if it is true that the governor dissolved the councils without recourse to the house, the PDP caucus says the dissolution is illegal and will not stand the test of time.



“We want to remind the governor that the dissolution of the local governments must be approved by two-thirds members of the state House of Assembly.



“The PDP caucus will use all legal means to correct the illegality being perpetrated by the Action Congress of Nigeria government in Ekiti State, which is barely two weeks in the saddle.



“We have noted that the rule of law only thrives where it favours the ACN.”



Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Mojeed Jamiu, said, “The governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi dissolved the executives of the councils by the power conferred on him by Section 23 b(1) of the amended Constitution governing the administration of local government in the state which empowered him to dissolve the executives of the councils in the public interest.”



He noted that there were court cases on the election conducted by the Oni administration in the first instance as it was said to have been marred by irregularities.



Jamiu said some council officials, following the Court of Appeal’s verdict that sacked the Oni administration, knew that the time was up for them. “This is a clear case that they knew that the administration on ground, would review their various claims to electoral victory,” Jamiu added.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101101234525

I will like to advice His excellency Dr Fayemi to pls stop playing politic on the pages of newspaper and concentrate more on the development of ekiti state. Let his work speak for him, to make a big difference from that of Dr Oni’s tenure TO JUSTIFY the confidence repose in him by the good people of ekiti state. He MUST do everything according to the rule of law, because his is greater beneficiary of the same. He should pls painstakingly lay a solid foundation to build his own ideas upon.