Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The People’s Democratic Party Vice Chairmanship candidate for Akure East LCDA, Ambassador Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi has called on the three senators representing Ondo State at the Red Chamber to emulate their colleague from Benue state, Comrade Abba Moro by reporting the illegal constitution of local government caretaker committee by the Rotimi Akeredolu-led administration in the state.
Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi in a press statement signed by his Media Aide, Ayodele Alade said that constituting caretaker committee is a way for state governors to divert local government statutory allocations, urging Senators Jide Ipinsagba, Jimoh Ibrahim and Adeniyi Adegbonmire to immediately stand against such fraud and illegality in Ondo State.
According to the PDP Vice chairmanship candidate, Senator Ipinsagba should outrightly reject the illegal caretaker committee instead of complaining that the nominees from his local government weren’t the ones he approved for the state government to announce.
He added that as a lawmaker and not a law breaker, Chief Ipinsagba should add his voice to the ones that have been speaking against the illegality that has been carried out by the Ondo State Government.
Aare Abiodun however called on the Nigerian Senate to as a matter of urgency order the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission , ODIEC to conduct the already planned February 17, 2024 local government election if truly the electoral body isn’t working with the APC-led administration in Ondo State to kill the voice of the opposition.
According to him, ODIEC had asked political parties in Ondo State to conduct primaries, choose candidates and present them to the electoral body for the February 17 election. “We in the PDP had done this more than two months ago and we will not accept cancellation of the election which we are fully ready to contest and win in various local governments and LCDAs of Ondo State” he added.
Recall that Senator Abba Moro of Benue South Senatorial Zone had yesterday reported to the Senate the illegal constitution of local government caretaker committee by Governor Alia.
During the debate, the Senate through its president, His Excellency Godswil Akpabio warned the governor of Benue state, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia to stop the caretaker committee in the state and return the local government executives he sacked immediately he assumed duties as governor.
The Senate also called on the federal government to withhold statutory allocations of states that put the administration of their local governments under caretaker committees.