Edo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lucky Esiegbe, has disclosed that the government has filed for a stay of execution and an appeal against the judgement that reinstated the ‘impeached’ Akoko Edo Local Government Council Chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Alade.
He stressed that the judgment would not stand, adding that he was confident that the Court of Appeal would overturn the judgement, insisting that he believed that the judge was misled into a case that he had no jurisdiction.
The Edo State High Court sitting in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, had on Wednesday 30th April declared the impeachment of the elected chairman of the local government, Mr. Tajudeen Alade, illegal and ordered his immediate reinstatement.
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice E. A. Okoh, directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to provide him with the needed security to resume office.
Justice Okoh, in his declarative judgment, insisted that the court has jurisdiction, contrary to the challenge by the state government that the court does not have jurisdiction.
In the suit number B/30os/2025 between Hon Suleman Tajudeen Alade and Hon Mrs Beatrice Abukare as claimants and Honourables Alabi Oshionogue, Tope Jacon, Akosile Imashimi, Pendo Adeche, Afolabi Monday (as councilors), Akoko-Edo local government legislative council, Akoko-Edo local government council, the Vice Chairman of Akoko-Edo local government council and the Inspector General of Police as Defendants through originating summons, Alade prayed the court to declare his purported impeachment “illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever” among several other demands.
Counsel to the claimants, Asemota Anderson explained that “In the eye of the law, no impeachment was ever done in the first place.
“The court found that there was indeed non-compliance with the procedure stipulated under Section 19 of the Edo State local government law, and that the man was not given a fair hearing before his removal and the court now went further to declare that the removal was unlawful and not in compliance with the constitution of the land and therefore null and void.
“The court set aside the removal and ordered his immediate restoration and return to office. It is a declarative judgment, and implementation takes effect immediately.”
