The Kwara state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has discribed the Kwara State House of Assembly as “confused” and “lacking knowledge of due process.”
This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the party Kola Shittu, and obtained by this medium. Shittu said the invitation of the chairmen after unlawful suspension is “putting the cart before the horse”.
“Yesterday, we received information that the Kwara State House of Assembly had invited suspended chairmen of the 16 local government councils in the State for questioning over allegation of misappropriation of public funds.”
“As a party, we note that the State Assembly is putting the cart before the horse because this is what it ought to have done before recommending the illegal and provocative suspension of the chairmen, which was swiftly approved by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, in a manner that suggests political vendetta.”
“We recall our earlier statement wherein we emphasized that it was utterly wrong and undemocratic for the House to have recommended the suspension of the council bosses over cooked-up allegation of financial misappropriation when they had not been properly investigated or invited for questioning.”
“Inviting the chairmen for questioning after suspending them unlawfully, shows that the lawmakers are confused and lack knowledge of due process.”
“Our party holds firm that the suspension of the LG chairmen has no place in a democratic dispensation as neither the House nor the governor has the power to suspend the council chairmen who were lawfully elected by their people.”
“This is particularly as there is a subsisting court order restraining the State Governor nor any of his representatives including the State House of Assembly from suspending or dissolving elected local government chairmen or interfere in their financial activities until the lawful expiration of their tenure in 2020.”
“Similarly, the Supreme Court had also declared as illegal and unconstitutional the dissolution of local government councils by State governor and the state assemblies.”
“Therefore, both the governor and the lawmakers have overreached themselves by brazenly disregarding a court order and taking action that undermines the nation’s constitution and democracy.”
“We also wonder why the legislature would invite the suspended council chairmen when there is a pending court case against them (lawmakers) and the Governor which was instituted by the chairmen.”
“The party also berates the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for mounting serious pressure on the LG chairmen to withdraw the court case, with a promise that they will be allowed to retain their position. This, no doubt further exposes the frustration and desperation of the Abdulrahman-led administration. ”
“As I said when I appeared on a T.V. programme few days ago, we believe that this APC government is only out to settle political scores and only using the cosmetic allegation of financial misappropriation as a way of calling a dog bad name in order to hang it.”
