ALGON crisis deepens over emergence of new exco

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The crisis rocking the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) took disturbing dimension on Wednesday when the faction led by the chairman of Bariga LCDA, Lagos state, Kolade Alabi, met on Wednesday and returned him as the factional President of the association.
However, the executive chairman of the Interim Management Committee of the association and the chairman of Suleja Local Government Council, Niger state, Abdullahi Maje, in a statement issued in Abuja disassociated itself from the purportedly meeting.
Reacting to the development in the statement he signed, Maje described the meeting as; “illegal and should be disregarded by its members nationwide and the members of the public.”
The Niger LGA Council boss maintained that such meeting should be ignored since its leadership did not approve, explaining: “We recieved complaints from our members that a meeting was holding at a venue in Abuja without them being invited.
“Upon investigations, we got to know that someone who is not a member of the association did convened the said meeting. We, however, disassociate ourselves from such meeting for the following reasons.
“Firstly, the convener has no constitutional right to do so. Secondly, the said convener, Kolade Alabi, is a Chairman of a Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) created by the Lagos state government but not recognised by the constitution of the Federation Republic of Nigeria and constitution of ALGON.
“Our leadership, therefore state categorically that whatever decision made at such illegal meeting should be disregarded and seen as efforts in futility.
“This is necessary to put the record straight because there is a subsisting court case challenging the legitimacy of the said Kolade Alabi before a competent court of law,” the statement read.