By Mohammed Yangida, Lafia
A High court sitting in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital on Wednesday dismissed a suit filed by the local government elected officials in the state seeking elongation of their tenure in office from two to three years.
Presiding over the judgment at the state high court 4, Justice James Abundaga, ruled that all the issues raised for determination are resolved against the applicants and accordingly dismissed.
The judge, who based his argument on section 7 sub section 1 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria as amended held that running of local government councils by whether sole administrators, caretaker committee or in the past, director of personnel managements is unconstitutional.
“It is unconstitutional to contemplate the constitution of a caretaker committee or any other type of transitional government in the local government councils, it is equally unconstitutional to condone an illegal elongation of the term of office of an elected official beyond the term he stood election for and won.”
He therefore maintained that he would not compromise one illegality to the other.
“We as a court of law must refrain from swimming in the muddy waters with the politicians. Let them sought themselves out of the mess they have deliberately for selfish reasons put themselves in,” Justice Abundaga added.
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly at its plenary sitting had earlier sacked the local council chairmen in the state.
The sacking of the council chairmen the lawmakers said was due to the expiration of their tenure in office that comes up on March 24, 2016.
