Imo APC Berates Ihedioha for Resisting Resumption of Elected LG Officials

Adedayo Akinwale ín Abuja

Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has frowned at the decision of Governor Emeka Ihedioha to resist the resumption of elected council officials across the 27 local government area of the state.

APC also accused the governor of engaging the services of hooligans from outside the state to unleash mayhem on those insisting on respect for rule of law and democracy.

Imo State APC Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya Jones, in a statement yesterday, recalled that the Supreme Court had reaffirmed the independence of local governments in a case that was brought before it by some illegally sacked local government officials in Ekiti State.

He added that a Supreme Court judgement on issue of constitutionality is binding on all Nigerians and officials of government as Supreme Court judgements are laws.

“Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress is saddened by recent developments in our dear state, where the present governor and his agents have shown a most disturbing and ridiculous disdain for the rule of law, democracy and decency, among other things by resisting the long overdue resumption of duty by legitimately elected local government officials across the 27 local government aras of the state,” the statement said.

Jones insisted that the local government election held on August 25, 2018 was held in line with extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Imo State Local Government Administration Law 15, 2000.

APC, however, lamented that instead of recognising the elected officials, the governor appointed caretaker chairmen across the 27 local governments.

The opposition party in the state said there was no legal or political impediment to the conduct of that election and there was no court order dissolving or suspending these duly elected local government officials.

“That the party supports the move by these elected council officials to resume at their duty posts, as soon as possible, as we view the action of the governor and the Peoples Democratic Party against these elected officials as a coup d’etat.

“That the party condemned in clear terms the assassination of one of our members, Hon. Ahamefula Mmaduabuchi, who until his gruesome murder by suspected PDP thugs was a Supervisory Councillor at Isu Local Government Area of the state,”the statement added.

APC also called on all heads of security agencies in the state to fish out the killers of Mmaduabuchi and all sponsors of violence against law-abiding party members in the state.

It equally called on the general public to ignore any statement from Marcon Nlemigbo, Enyinnaya Onuegbu and their co-travellers, as they do not speak for APC, describing them as agents of destabilisation hired and retained by PDP to cause confusion within the party.