A Kwara state High court sitting in Ilorin, Friday, sacked the Transitional Implementation Committees (TIC) chairmen and executive members in the 16 local government councils of the state.
A judgement the state government said it would appeal.
Delivering his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice H. A. Gegele, described the action of the governor (and the government) as “executive rascality and an abuse of power.”
The judge held that the suspension of a democratically-elected local government council and replacement with “an illegal TIC is not known to any law.”
The court described the composition of TIC officials in the local government councils as “illegal and unconstitutional.”
The affected officials were put in place by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in June after the suspension of the democratically-elected councils chairmen and councillors from office.
The Elite Network for Sustainable Development, ENetSuD, an anti-corruption civil society organisation in Kwara state, had consequently dragged the state government to court over the composition and inauguration of TIC members in the 16 local government councils of the state.
In suit no KWS/117/2021, ENetSuD dragged the respondents (Kwara state government, Kwara state governor and Attorney general of Kwara state) to the state High Court to seek some reliefs on the case.
The judge, who ruled in favor of ENetSuD, admitted that ENetSuD is a juristic person with a legal personality that can sue and be sued.
He also ruled in favour of ENetSuD that it had locus standi to pursue this case in court of competent jurisdiction.
Reacting to the judgement, the state attorney general and commissioner for Justice, Salman Jawondo, said the government will pursue the case even up till the Supreme Court.
