Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state has been enjoined to comply with the Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy by quickly conducting a democratically elected council election in the state.
Prince Chris Azor, leader of the foremost Non-State Actors’ group, the Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONet), made the statement on Monday in Awka while reacting on the recent ruling of the Apex Court granting political and financial autonomy to local government Councils in Nigeria.
“The Governor has no other choice than to immediately constitute Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) and give it the marching orders to conduct local government election within the next three months,” Azor said.
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The Citizens’ advocate further advised the Governor to dissolve the recently inaugurated Transition Committee structure and allow Heads of Administration in the various local councils to take over leadership temporarily, pending the conduct and operationalization of democratically elected local government administration.
He said that any action to the contrary would amount to flagrant disobedience to the Apex court’s ruling, impunity and lawlessness.
The human rights advocate also, pointed out that obeying the Apex Court’s order would save the state from further opprobrium.
Azor added that Anambra has gained a notorious and ignoble ranking as the state with the longest period in non-conduct of local government elections since 2014.
He enjoined the Governor to uphold his hailing of the supreme court judgment, with a promise to abide by the rule of law.
The Governor was also reminded of the negative social and economic consequences of possible zero financial allocations to the masses, as a result of noncompliance with the democratic electoral process at the local government level.
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Recall that, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court in a judgement declared that state governments have no power to appoint Caretaker Committees and that a local government is recognizable with a democratically elected government.
The Apex Court also ruled that the use of Caretaker Committees was unconstitutional and amounted to the state governments taking control in violation of the 1999 constitution (as amended)
The Supreme Court in the ruling said the judgment would take immediate effect.
