Appeal Court approves sack of Oyo council chairpersons by Makinde

The Court of Appeal in Ibadan, on Wednesday, approved the sack of elected council chairpersons by Governor Seyi Makinde.

The sacked chairpersons have, however, vowed to appeal at the Supreme Court.

The former council bosses announced the plan to appeal in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

The former chairpersons, led by Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, had approached the court to vindicate them saying they were illegally sacked.

Mr Makinde had shortly after his inauguration as governor in 2019, sacked the officials.

He ordered the council bosses who were elected in 2018 to hand over the property of their councils to the most senior staffer in their respective local government areas.

The officials, drawn from the 33 local government areas (LGAs) and 35 local council development areas (LCDAs) and their councillors, were members of the APC who were elected during the tenure of the immediate past governor, late Abiola Ajimobi.

The officials after their sack approached an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan. They argued that they were illegally removed by Mr Makinde.

The case later moved to the court of appeal.

But, the appeal court in its ruling on Wednesday ruled in favour of the governor, elected under the PDP.

Justice Haruna Tsamani read the judgment in the presence of the two other judges who were members of the three-member panel of the court of appeal.

‘Heading to Supreme Court’

Mr Abass-Aleshinloye, who is the spokesman of the group, said they will proceed to the Supreme court to challenge their removal.

The ex-chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area, noted that their lawyers have been informed of the decision to proceed to the Supreme Court.

“We humbly reject the judgement and we shall proceed to the Supreme Court for a review. Our lawyers have been informed to take the necessary action,” he said.

“As elected chairmen and councilors, we will continue to defend democracy and our freely given mandate legally and peacefully until justice is done and seen to be done. The struggle continues,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state chapter of the APC has said it will give the judgement of the appeal court to its legal team “for scrutiny”.

Its publicity secretary, AbdulAzeez Olatunde, in a statement, said the party would await the legal advice on its next step.

“The judgement of the court of appeal in the unconstitutional and illegal dissolution of the elected Local Government Administration in Oyo State of Wednesday 15th July 2020 would be given to Oyo State APC legal team for scrutiny when received. Thereafter, the Oyo State APC would await the legal advice on the next step and way forward.

“APC Oyo State has been known for peace and as such would counsel all APC members in Oyo State to go about their endeavours peacefully and await the next step to be taken in line with the advice of our team of legal experts,” the party said.