FG Berates Edo's Gov. Okpebholo, Says Suspension Of 18 LG Chairmen illegal, Unconstitutional

The Federal Government has berated the Edo State Government for suspending the 18 elected local government chairmen in the state, describing the action as illegal.
Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, spoke on Thursday, noting that it was illegal for the state House of Assembly to suspend elected representatives of the people at the grassroots.  
The Assembly had suspended the 18 local government chairmen on Monday over what it described as insubordination to Governor Monday Okpebholo.
Okpebholo had earlier written the Assembly, complaining that the chairmen flouted his directive by refusing to submit the financial statements of their councils as requested, following which the Assembly, slammed two month suspension on the chairmen.
However, reacting to the development, Fagbemi, who had in July secured a Supreme Court judgment, granting autonomy to the 774 LGAs in the country, noted that the suspension of the Edo council chairmen amounted to illegality.
His words, “One thing that I know and can say without fear is that under the present dispensation, the governor has no right to remove any local government chairman. That much I know.
“If I did not know before, since July 11, 2024, I became aware of it that the removal of any local government chairman or official would be the prerogative of that local government, through their legislative house.”