PLATEAU ON 25TH SEPT. 2023: ALLEGEDLY SUSPENDED LGC CHAIRMEN/COUNCILORS WOULD BE PRAYING FOR AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION(S) AGAINST PLATEAU STATE GOVERNOR, OTHERS

By: Valentine Adese (JP),

The allegedly suspended Local Government Council Chairmen and their Councilors in Suit No: PLD/1257/2023, filed by them, would on the 25^th of September, 2023 be praying the Plateau State High Court for an Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the Defendants in the suit, by themselves or by their servants, agents or privies from truncating, according to Section 1(1) of the Constitution of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and also an Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the Defendants by themselves or by their servants, agents, and or privies from nominating or appointing any person or group or persons under any guise or nomenclature to run the affairs of any Local Government in Plateau State, while the tenure of the Claimants is extent.

You would recall that the matter was adjourned to the 25^th of September, 2023, owing to, an Application for Joinder filed by, Hon. Zulfa Bitrus Rimven, the former Chairman of, Langtang North LGC.

It is also of note that, before the adjournment, the Defendants in the suit, the Governor of Plateau State, and the Attorney General of Plateau state, are yet to file their response to the Originating Summons filed by the Chairmen.

The Claimants (Chairmen) in the face of their Originating Summons would also be praying for the following reliefs below:-

1. Whether the provision of Section 95(1) of the Plateau State Local Government Council Law, 2016 empowers the Defendants to arbitrarily or whimsically appoint any person or persons under the guise of undescribed extra-ordinary measures to run the affairs of the Local Government in the place of the Claimants, who were elected through a democratic election, or pursuant to Section 7(1) of the Constitution of the FRN, 1999 (as amended), and whether such sweeping undefined powers so granted is not inconsistent with Section 7 (1) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
2. Whether the powers donated to the 1^st Defendant by Section 95(1) of the Plateau State Local Government Council Law, 2016 to take extra-ordinary measures, by instrument circumstance or situations listed in the said Section 95(1) (a-f) is not inconsistent with the provision of Section 305 (3)(a-f) and (4) of the Constitution of the FRN, 1999 (as amended), among others.