Appeal Court reserves judgment in Oyo LG leadership tussle suit

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday reserved judgment in a suit filed by the Oyo State Government challenging a court order not to dissolve the leadership of the 33 Local Government Areas and 35 Local Council Development Areas in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Oyo State Government appealed against the judgment of the High Court delivered on May 6, 2019 by Justice Aderonke Aderemi ordering the state government not to dissolve the elected 33 chairmen and 35 LCDA.

NAN reports that despite the judgment, Governor Seyi Makinde dissolved the 33 LG chairmen and 35 LCDA in the state immediately after his inauguration on May 29, 2019 and appealed against the judgment.

The three-member panel of appeal judges, chaired by Justice Jimi Bada, on Wednesday reserved the judgment after hearing arguments of counsel in the suit.

Bada further said judgment date would be communicated to the respective counsel.

Earlier in his argument, counsel to the Oyo State Government, Kunel Kalejaye (SAN), said the lower court has not jurisdiction to hear the case because it was premature as at the time the case was filed.

Kalejaye said the chairmen filed the suit at the lower court based on a rumour they heard that Makinde would dissolved them after his swearing-in on May 29, 2019.

He said the case was filed at the lower court and judgment obtained by the respondents before they were dissolved.

Kalejaye urged the court to dismiss the judgment of the lower court and uphold the appeal.

In his arguments, Counsel to the respondents, Yusuf Ali (SAN), said the action cannot be termed immature because the law allows a person to approach the court when such a person notices that his right would be threatened.

Ali said the law always protects the right of any individual and only an irresponsible person would wait for his eye to be plucked after noticing that such thing was about to happen.

He urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the judgment of the lower court to prevent such action from happening in the future.