EDHA orders council chairmen to vacate office by Thursday

Following the constitutional expiration of April 21, 2016, of the elected council executives, the leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly on Monday ordered 17 local government chairmen in the state to before next Thursday hand over the administration of their various councils to the head of local government administration.

BusinessDay reports that 17 chairmen were elected into office April 20, 2013, and sworn in the next day (April 21).

The House however exempted the chairman of Esan North-East, Sam Oboh, from the handing over directive following the re-run election that characterised the electoral processes of his victory.

The lawmakers also directed the chairman and members of the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) to appear before it on April 19 to explain why the commission had not been able to conduct local government elections.

The resolution at the plenary session was sequel to the presentation of a constitutional observation moved by Sunday Osazemwinde, and seconded by Ativie Elizabeth.

Osazemwinde said the tenure of the chairmen in all the councils as prescribed by Section 10(1) and 18(1) of the local government law 2000, allowed for three years single tenure, following the conduct of their election on April 20, 2013.

“The EDSIEC is supposed to have conducted election within 90 days before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent chairmen.

“It behoves on the parliament to mandate the chairmen to hand over the administration of their respective councils to the heads of local government administration, as it has become clear from all indications that there are no plans to conduct local government elections in the near future,” he said.

Victor Edoror, the speaker of the House, however directed the affected chairmen to hand over the administration of their councils to the heads of local government administration on or before April 21, 2016.