From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The last may not have been heard of the crisis rocking the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) as the Abdullahi Maje-led Interim Management Committee has kicked against the meeting convened by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the association, yesterday in Abuja.
Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria Kwara State chapter and spokesperson of ALGON interim committee, Jide Ashonibare, who addressed newsmen in Abuja claimed that the BoT lacks the legality to convene a meeting of the association’s NEC going by the court judgment stopping the Kolade Alade-led ALGON executive from parading itself as so.
Speaking after the meeting, the Alade-led ALGON executive convened in Abuja, he said: “This briefing has become absolutely necessary because of the illegal NEC meeting held at ALGON headquarters in Abuja today (yesterday).
“The so-called meeting was convened by the BoT which by the order of the court is illegal. The court ruling stopped the BoT from parading itself as so. It was the same judgment to the Kolade Alade-led ALGON executive. The court had in its wisdom said Alade is not part of the chairmen of the 774 local government areas recognised by the constitution of Nigeria and ALGON.
“The court judgment had explicitly noted that since he is not heading any local government he cannot be the chairman of ALGON. It was funny to hear that the meeting convened by the BoT, yesterday suspended the former legal adviser, who is ALGON chairman for Kogi State, Toefeek, on Wednesday, despite the ex perte order.
“His sin is the insistent that the Alade-led ALGON executive should stop disobeying the court order. He had insisted he is relinquishing his position as legal adviser to the Alade executive,” he said.