Ondo NNPP petitions CJN over governor’s appointment of caretaker committees

The New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, over the appointment of a transition committee by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa across the 18 local governments and 33 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, in the state.

According to the opposition party, the action of the governor negated the judgement of the apex court, which recently ordered that allocation should only be paid to councils with elected chairmen.

While describing the development as a gross violation of the judgement of the court, the petition signed by Ondo NNPP Chairman Peter Olagookun and the State Secretary, stressed that the appointment of the transition committees also rubbished the June 20 ruling of Justice A.O. Adebusuoye of the Ondo High Court in line with the Local Government Creation Law 2023.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Kayode Ajulo, SAN, had earlier justified the appointment by the governor, as he maintained that it was done within the constitutional rights of his boss.

NNPP, demanding that Ajulo be stripped of his Senior Advocate of Nigeria title over his action, stated: “We are constrained to bring to your attention the report of gross misconduct and flagrant disobedience of court judgement against Dr Kayode Ajulo, the Attorney-General and the Commissioner of Justice of Ondo State, bordering on the ignoble role he played in the matter.

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“In flagrant disobedience to the validly given judgement of the Ondo State High Court on June 20, 2024, and in an attempt to overreach the judgement of the Supreme Court delivered on July 11, 2024, the governor of Ondo State announced the constitution of caretaker committees for the 33 LCDAs and the 18 LGAs and, under the cover of the night, surreptitiously swore them in, in flagrant disobedience to these subsisting orders of the Court.

“This act of Dr Kayode Ajulo has been widely criticised by the people of Ondo State, and there have been calls for him to resign his position as the Attorney-General and the chief law officer of the state.

“This act is, to say the least, unbecoming of the person occupying the exalted position of the office of the Attorney-General, the chief law officer of a state, and also a member of the inner bar.

“It is, therefore, reasonable to say that his membership in the inner bar and position as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria are unmerited and therefore should be withdrawn.”