Edo LG Crisis Worsens As More Councils Impeach Their Elected Chairmen

The crisis rocking local councils in the Edo State escalated on Thursday with a report of gunmen allegedly invaded the Uhunmwode Local Government Council headquarters in Egor.
Several persons were reportedly wounded in the attack which the chairman of the council, Kenneth Adodo, alleged was carried out by policemen from the Edo State Government House.
Didactic Information Hut reports that the attack followed the impeachment of the chairmen of Uhunmwode and Orhionmwon local government councils by the elected councillors.
In His reaction, the Chairman of Owan East counterpart; Prince Aminu Okodo-Kadirihas insisted that his purported impeachment and that of his Vice, Hon Clement Ojebuovbo was unconstitutional and illegal.
Also in Orhionmwon local government area, the Councillors took a swift decision to impeach the Leader of the house, Hon Daniel Osariemen, and replaced him with Hon Chuks Isan because they claimed that Osariemen was being mobilised to impeach the chairman, Hon Newman Ugiagbe, and his vice Midwest Ogbebor.
It was also gathered that the purportedly suspended leader, Osariemen was alleged to have led unknown persons to take over the secretariat of the council in Abudu where he purportedly resumed as the acting chairman of the local government area.
But the Chief Press Secretary to the Orhionmwon LG Chairman, Roy Osariemen, in a statement said that the action in Abudu was illegal and that Neeman Ugiagbe remained the chairman of the local government area.
In a similar development, the chairman of Owan East LGC, Okodo-Kadiri, while addressing journalists in Benin City on Thursday, said his purported impeachment processes were full of irregularities which, according to him, went against the provisions of the law.
He referenced the Edo State Local Government Law of 2000 (as amended in 2002) which outlined specific procedures for the removal of council executives.
Okodo emphasised that the councillors did not follow the due process of establishing a seven-member investigative panel, adding that the mace used during the impeachment was not the official mace of the Owan East Local Government Council.
“The governor alleged that council chairmen embezzled ₦50 million meant for salaries, but this claim lacks merit,” he said.
“Monthly salary expenditures far exceed ₦50 million in most councils and salaries were paid promptly up to November, contrary to the governor’s claims.
“If funds were misappropriated, where is the proof? Our bank records are clear, and no salaries are owed.
“Moreso, the purported impeachment revealed that two key councillors were involved in the process—Hon. Haruna Mohammed and another member from Ward Seven who had been suspended for gross misconduct prior to the session.”
He argued that the participation of the suspended Councillors in the proceedings rendered the proceedings null and void, emphasizing that his office was not notified of their reinstatement as required by due process.
He expressed confidence that the court would do what was necessary and withdraw the illegal impeachment proceedings.