The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has condemned the suspension of the chairmen of all 18 local governments in the state by the State House of Assembly, calling the action unconstitutional and invalid.
In a statement issued by the state PDP Chairman, Anthony Aziegbemi, the party argued that the suspension violated a recent ruling by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, and went against the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the autonomy and independence of local governments as outlined in Nigeria’s Constitution.
Aziegbemi questioned how a governor could instruct the State Assembly to suspend democratically elected local government chairmen for alleged insubordination, given their constitutional autonomy. He also expressed concerns about the lack of an opportunity for the affected chairmen to defend themselves before the suspension, calling the charges against them baseless.
The PDP leader emphasized that the actions of the Speaker and the entire Edo State House of Assembly were an overreach of their constitutional powers and a direct attack on democracy and the rule of law. He called for the immediate reversal of the decision and urged the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation to intervene, as the suspension represented a serious breach of constitutional rights and a threat to public security.
