The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has warned local governments in the state against joining Governor Seyi Makinde in his alleged efforts to subvert the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy.

The party’s warning is contained in a statement by the partyt’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, on Monday in Ibadan.

The governor has been vehement in his opposition to agitations for local government autonomy, as well as the Supreme Court ruling that eventually granted the autonomy.

The chairmen of the 33 local government councils in the state had dumped the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, the umbrella body for the elected council chairmen in the country.

They said that their decision was to solidify the governor’s stand on local government autonomy, as ruled by the apex court.

However, Mr Sadare, in the statement, said that the Supreme Court had clearly granted financial autonomy to the third tier of government in the country.

He warned the local government chairmen that toeing the line of the governor might land them in jail sooner than later.

“Governor Makinde has emerged as the lone voice among the 36 state governors condemning the apex court’s verdict. He was quoted as having described the development as a distraction while he also inaugurated a special committee to review the judgement,” he said.

Mr Sadare further stated that Mr Makinde had mandated the committee to come up with recommendations that would enable him to maintain the status quo as far as the joint account arrangement between state and local government councils was concerned.

He accused the governor of covetousness and a lack of respect for constitutional democracy and the rule of law, as well as having an inordinate ambition to make Oyo State a separate republic from Nigeria.

“The whole world did not realise the magnitude of damage done to the third tier of government in Oyo State in the last 62 months until the governor came out openly to castigate both the federal government and the judiciary on the issue of financial autonomy. The governor has been fighting tooth and nail to promote an unpopular call for a reversal of the verdict, which has been described by most people as a victory for the masses.

“Unfortunately for the governor, his recent actions have confirmed the allegations bordering on the embezzlement of council funds being levelled against him by the APC and others.’’

According to Mr Sadare, the decision of the apex court remains sacrosanct, even if the governor refuses to agree to it.

“Oyo State is a fraction of Nigeria, and it is wrong for a governor to claim ‘sovereignty’ as he depends on the federal government’s handouts and allocations to pilot the affairs of his state,” he said.

The APC spokesman noted that the reported withdrawal of the 33 council chairmen from ALGON was just a smokescreen, as citizens were already aware that it was a script handed to them by their principal.

“There is absolutely nothing the governor can do to make him the recipient of the allocations due to the 33 LGAs again, and any chairman or career officer who compromises the provision of the law on account of blind loyalty or unfounded fear will pay for it,” he said. 

(NAN)