Cross River: PDP move to challenge outcome of LG elections
Against the backdrop of recent development, there are indications that the Cross River local government elections may be challenged in competent courts to taste the law once again.
In a statement posted on his Facebook wall captioned, ‘Nightmare of the Governors’, the Cross River State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Venatius Ikem, Esq, said: “No law of the House of Assembly of a state can validly interfere or deal in any manner with money distributed to local government council from Federation Account as stated in Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, JSC., in Attorney General of the Federation Vs Attorney-General of Abia State & 35 others.”
According to Ikem, ”the era of Government House Calabar capturing local government money of over N6 bn monthly is over.”
The Supreme Court also held affirming its earlier judgement in Ajuwon Vs Gov of Oyo State that. A democratically elected local government council does not exist at the pleasure of, whims and caprice of either the governor or the House of Assembly.
“The misconception by the state authorities that the Constitution does not intend to grant and guarantee autonomy to the local government is only a brainwave nurtured by sheer aggrandizement and megalomaniac instinct to conquer and make the local government mere parastatals of the state.
“All those percentage deductions for RUDA, rural Electrification, Sports Commission, Primary School renovation, Primary Health care renovations purchase of Aircrafts, etc under any guise at all, which is fueling the appetite for the selection of local government chairmen that cannot say no is an exercise in futility.
“Never again shall we abdicate responsibility in the face of the clear pronouncement of the Supreme Court Judgement.
“It will not require a council chairman to challenge the deductions. Any citizen can validly challenge the State Government in any Court of Law to enforce this judgment. We will be meeting in Court,” he said.
