The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has rejected the suspension of local government chairmen and vice chairmen in Edo State by the state’s House of Assembly.
Fagbemi argued that it is unlawful for a state’s House of Assembly to suspend duly elected local government leaders, emphasizing that only the Legislature at the Local Government level has the power to do so.
The Edo House of Assembly had passed a resolution suspending the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the state’s 18 Local Government Areas for two months. This decision was made in response to a complaint by Governor Sunday Okpebholo, who accused the council leaders of insubordination for allegedly failing to comply with his directive to submit their councils’ financial records to him.
However, Fagbemi’s statement suggests that the governor’s actions may have been unconstitutional. The suspended chairmen have also vowed to remain in office until their tenure expires in September 2026.
Newman Ugiagbe, the chairman of Orhionmwon Local Government Council, argued that the chairmen were duly elected and are constitutionally bound to vacate office in September 2026. He also pointed out that the state Chief Judge had previously informed the assembly that they lacked the power to unilaterally tamper with the affairs of elected local government councils.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also denounced the suspension, recalling that the Supreme Court had granted financial autonomy to local government councils. The party argued that the assembly’s actions were unconstitutional and void, and called on the federal government to seize allocations meant for the 18 local government councils.
