Senator
Dino Melaye representing Kogi West senatorial district at the National Assembly
on Thursday sued the Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the State House
of Assembly and others before the Federal High Court, sitting in Lokoja over
the non conduct of local government election.
Dino
in the suit is asking the court to declare the composition of caretaker
committees for the 21 local government areas of the state as illegal, null and
void.
Also
joined as defendants in the suit include the Ministry of Local Government and
Chieftaincy Affairs, the Kogi State Local Government Service Commission and the
State Independent Electoral Commission.
Others
joined in the suit were the Joint Local Government Accounts Allocation
Committee, the 21 local government areas of the state, the Central Bank of
Nigeria, the minister of finance, the Federation Accounts and Allocation
Committee and the Inspector General of Police.
The
suit supported by a 30-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Melaye, sought 13
reliefs which include a declaration that the governor in pursuance of Section
56(1-6) Kogi state local government law 2008 could not appoint local government
transition committees, sole administrators for the local government areas.
He
also prayed the court to declared that the governor in line with the section
1(3) and Section 7(1) of the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria
"cannot exercise its power in such a manner as to have delayed, refused or
neglected to conduct local government elections for the purposes of
constituting the various local government councils".
The
suit also prayed the court for a declaration that " upon the
interpretation of Section 7 of the Allocation of Revenue (Federation Account)
Act Cap A15, LFN2004 there cannot exist a validly and lawfully constituted
Joint Local Government Account Allocation Committee for the purpose of
administering all sums of money accruing to the local government areas".
The
lawmaker is also asking for a declaration restraining the governor, the House
of Assembly among others from constituting or appointing any person as
caretaker committee or sole administrator.
The
suit also asked for injunction directing the governor and other defendants from
appropriating, expending or dealing with revenues accruing to the local
government areas.
Daily
Trust reports that the suit is coming virtually 24 hours after the state
assembly approved a six month tenure extension for the 21 local government sole
administrators earlier constituted by the Kogi State governor last year
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