Kogi council chairmen sacked for defecting to APC, governor denies allegation

Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State on Tuesday removed 15 chairmen of local governments from office for allegedly defecting to the rival All Progressives Congress.
The removal of the chairmen was contained in a statement issued in Lokoja and signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, James Adedoyin.
The statement cited section 20 sub section ( 1) and section 36 sub section 1 (d) of Kogi State Local Government Law 2000 as amended to back the action.
It explained that the sacked chairmen can no longer remain in office having decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party that sponsored them.
Some of the affected council chairmen included that of Lokoja, Ogori-Magongo, Idah, Adavi, Ankpa, Okehi, Bassa, Yagba East, Yagba West and Okene.
They defected to the APC during the grand finale of its governorship campaign held in Lokoja on November 18.
The statement warned the sacked council chairmen to stay away from their offices, directing the vice chairmen or the council leaders to take over the affairs of the affected councils as may be appropriate.
The governor said the handing and taking over should be completed by Wednesday, the statement said.
One of the grounds for their defection was the refusal of Wada to implement a decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on October 29 that nullified the removal of the elected chairmen from office.
They were removed from office based on the order of a Kogi State High Court sitting in Koton Karfe, which ruled that the election of May 4, 2013, which brought them into office was faulty.
Relying on the judgment, Kogi State Government asked the chairmen and councillors to vacate office, but the affected officials approached the Court of Appeal, which set aside the ruling and declared that they resume immediately.
The Kogi State Government however refused to give effect to the ruling until November 23.
But Wada has said the chairmen were removed solely based on the order of the Court.
Reacting on his Twitter handle to the development, Wada said: “I only reinstated the LGA chairmen as directed by the Appeal Court.”
NAN.