The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello, has suspended the planned inauguration of the six area council chairmen and councillors scheduled for Friday.

Mr Bello made the disclosure in a statement personally signed by him on Thursday in Abuja.

This, according to him, was due to the communication of a judgment by a court in the Federal Capital Territory directing the suspension of the inauguration.

“The existing chairmen, whose tenures were meant to expire or end today, have another one year to continue, based on the new law,” said the minister in the statement. “So, as a law-abiding government, the FCT Administration has no option than to suspend the planned inauguration of the Six Area Council Chairmen of the FCT who were duly elected some weeks ago as a result of this injunction of the court.

The current chairmen’s tenure will end on Thursday.

The minister explained that the judgment, based on the recently signed Electoral Act of 2022, which stipulates that the tenure of office of the Chairmen of the Area Councils in FCT would now be four years instead of three years.

“Also, as an administration that is very conscious of the need to abide by the rule of law, even though we are not satisfied with the judgment of the court, we have no option but to comply,” he said.

NAN