Senator Melaye sues Gov Bello over LG elections

Senator Dino Melaye has dragged his state Governor Yahaya Bello to court for failing to conduct local government election in the state.

In a suit he instituted before the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, the senator representing Kogi west senatorial district asked the court to declare the constitution of caretaker committees for the 21 local government areas of the state illegal, null and void.

Aside Bello, other defendants in the case are Kogi State House of Assembly, Ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs, the state local government service commission and the state Independent
Electoral Commission.

Also joined in the suit are 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.

In a 30-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Melaye, he sought 13 reliefs, among them are, 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.

To declare that the governor inline 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”.

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He further asked the court to declare 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”.

Melaye among other things also prayed the court to make a declaration restraining the governor, the House of Assembly among others from constituting or appointing any person as caretaker committee or sole
administrator.

An injunction directing the governor and other defendants from appropriating, expending or dealing with revenues accruing to the local government areas, was also sought for in the suit.

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