Mixed reactions trail suspension of Alimosho chairman

• Council sues Assembly, alleges unlawful interference
• House says law does not recognise sentiment, emotions
• Vice Chairman gets appointment letter to take over office

The embattled Chairman of Alimosho Local Council, Jelili Sulaimon, has described as unjust, the indefinite suspension imposed on him by the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Counsel to Sulaimon, Dr Abdul Mahmud, in a statement, yesterday, condemned the decision of the Assembly to suspend Sulaimon.

According to him, the Assembly’s decision is not only illegal and unconstitutional, but it also constitutes a blatant affront to the recent decision of the Supreme Court, which affirmed the autonomy and independence of local councils under the 1999 Constitution (with fifth alterations) and should not be accorded any relevance.

Mahmud emphasised that there is a pending suit between Jelili Sulaimon and the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly and five others before the Federal High Court, saying that the suit is challenging the powers of the Speaker and Lagos State House of Assembly on oversight functions over the affairs of Alimosho Local Council, especially when the council has its legislative assembly charged with such functions.

However, the Assembly, in a swift response, urged the embattled council chairman and his lawyer to recognise the place of law rather than sentiments and emotions as guiding principles of legislative practices in Lagos State.

In a statement signed by Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Stephen Ogundipe, the Assembly further advised Sulaimon against ascribing self-made meanings to the laws empowering the lawmakers to act where necessary in the interest of the people.

The Assembly said that the statement from Sulaimon’s counsel is replete with emotions rather than deep thoughts.

Meanwhile, the development has, however, triggered reactions from the public with a former lawmaker, Wale Oshun, saying that under the 1999 Constitution, the Assembly has the power to do what it did.

But a legal practitioner, Amoo AbdulWasiu Kayode, said that it was a breach of the Constitution as the House does not have such power to suspend a sitting and elected council chairman.

“They acted overzealous and it is a breach of the Constitution. They have no superficial role in suspending any council chairman. The Speaker and the lawmakers were all elected as any other political office holders.”

He noted that if a chairman was to be suspended, it would be done by the councillors.

An advocacy group, the Lagos People’s Assembly, has, however, taken up the matter by staging a peaceful protest at the Assembly’s Complex.

The group said that the decision of the lawmakers querying and sanctioning council administrators was in total contradiction to the council’s autonomy.

Kola Emmanuel, who spoke on behalf of the group, said that the Assembly should not in any way legislate on matters under the jurisdiction of councils’ legislative arms.

Meanwhile, the council has taken the Assembly to a Federal High Court in Abuja, alleging undue and illegal interference in its activities.

In the suit, the council urged the court to hold that the Assembly and the Speaker have no constitutional power to perform oversight functions over its activities.

It also urged the court to hold that the House cannot act as oversight over a democratically-elected executive of a local council that has its democratically-elected legislative council.

The plaintiffs, in the suit filed by their lawyer, Dr Abdul Mahmud, said the essential kernel of the case was to assert the autonomy and independence of local councils, pursuant to the recent decision of the Supreme Court.

However, the Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Council, Akinpelu Johnson, has officially received an appointment letter to take over from the suspended Chairman, Jelili Sulaimon.

The letter, dated October 8, 2024, was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Kikelomo Bolarinwa.

This is coming as councillors in the council have also barred the vice chairman from assuming the position of acting chairman as directed by the Assembly.

Meanwhile, four out of the seven councillors in the council have denounced the purported suspension of Johnson by their three colleagues.

In a statement signed by the four councillors, including Deputy Leader Mojisola Fabusuyi Ayeni (Ward D), Saheed Adejoke (Ward C), Rasheed Semiu (Ward E) and Elizabeth Fashina (Ward F), they commended the House for intervening while urging stakeholders in the council to go about their activities peacefully.