A Federal High court, Abuja has been urged to restrain Kolade Alabi from parading himself as the National Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria.
The applicants are the Incorporated Trustees of ALGON, Hons. Abubakar Abdullahi and Shaban Ohinoyi Shuaib.
They also prayed to Justice Inyang Ekwo to make an order setting aside the purported General Assembly convened at the instance of Alabi on March 24, 2021.
They sought a declaration that Alabi is not qualified to be national chairman of the association.
The applicants argued that Alabi, who was chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area in Lagos State at the time, cannot hold the leadership position of ALGON as Bariga is not among the country’s 774 local government areas.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the applicants, in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1609/2023, sued the Federal Ministry of Finance, Accountant-General of the Federation and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as 1st to 3rd respondents.
Others joined in the matter include the Attorney-General of Federation, Corporate Affairs Commission, Inspector-General of Police, Department of State Services and Alabi as 4th to 8th respondents respectively.
In their originating summons filed by their lawyer, Bartholomew Opara, they maintained that Alabi is not eligible to be ALGON chairman as he was not a local government chairman recognised by law.
They contended that Alabi had been removed by ALGON’s National Executive Council in 2019, but kept parading himself as chairman.
Opara, while adopting their processes on Friday, insisted that the constitution stipulated that only chairmen of constitutionally recognised LGAs can hold office in ALGON.
He cited Sections 8 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 4 of ALGON Constitution as well as a Supreme Court judgment on the listed LGAs to buttress his arguments.
Okpara sought order of perpetual injunction restraining Alabi from further parading or holding himself out as an officer or representative of ALGON.
But Alabi’s counsel, Abdulwahab Shittu (SAN), disagreed with Okpara.
Shittu prayed the court to dismiss the case of the plaintiffs for directing it against the national chairman of ALGON.
The senior lawyer, in his preliminary objection, insisted that ALGON constitution recognises the office of the president and not chairman as erroneously canvassed in the suit.
Justice Ekwo thereafter fixed April 30 for judgment, adding that parties would be notified if the judgment is ready before the date.
NAN reports that the court had earlier restrained the Alabi-led faction of the ALGON from parading themselves as the leaders of the association.
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Meanwhile, some members of ALGON staged a peaceful protest outside the court on Friday to press home their demands.
The protesters, who carried placards with different inscription, called on President Bola Tinubu to rescue ALGON from Alabi’s grip.
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