A High Court sitting in Benin, Edo State, on Friday ordered the restoration of the suspended chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 local government councils in the state.
Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of the court granted the order in a suit registered B/307/OS/24 filed by the affected chairmen and vice chairmen.
The court also restrained the defendants, including Governor Monday Okpebholo and Edo State Government, from acting on the resolution of the State House of Assembly that suspended them.
Justice Ikponmwonba also ordered that the status quo ante bellum, as of December 12, be maintained pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed the same day.
The judge adjourned the matter to February 17, 2025 for hearing and ordered that a hearing notice be issued and served on the defendants.
Reacting to the order, the Vice Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria in the state, Tajudeen Alade, said the decision of the court and the comments by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, were meant to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
He said, “The statement that emanated from the Attorney General of the Federation goes to show that we are prepared for the journey ahead to rescue Nigeria from the doldrums.
“We are very much appreciative of this current development and have no doubt that it will spur us as local government chairmen in Edo State to continue to hit the ground running, in order to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people, irrespective of the economic crunch, which we know we will get out of if we work together.”
The council chairmen said they were ready to work with Governor Okpebholo for the betterment of the state.
Alade added, “The state governor remains our father and of course, we will continue to give him the due respect. The idea of misconduct or insubordination does not arise at all because we are intelligent people and understand that both the local government and the state need to partner to ensure that the state move forward.
“I can assure that despite this ugly development, we are still not at loggerheads and for the House of Assembly, I am sure they will have a rethink. The court has been doing the needful not to favour us but to strengthen democracy.”