By Lekan Bilesanmi

Governor  Aminu Masari has been advised to exercise caution  on his  alleged plan to sack  elected local government  chairmen  in Katsina State even as a human rights lawyer, Aminu Maigari,  had filed an exparte  motion at the state High  Court to  restrain the state government against  the move  pending the determination of the case.

In a release  by Alhaji Salisu Aliyu Sukuntuni, Public Relations Officer of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,   Katsina State  chapter, he said just as the governor is elected, the chairmen were duly elected, and  until their tenure  ends, the governor has  no power to sack them.

“Section 7 of the Constitution states clearly that it does not recognize appointed chairmen.

“It only recognises elected chairmen. The chairmen were elected. When the election was to be conducted last September, the APC was asked to participate. Even for their sake, the fee  for the forms for the  various positions was reduced by half, but the party said it was not interested, and suddenly you say you want to sack them.

“When  a  former governor of Kano State, now senator, wanted  to dissolve the councils elected under his predecessor, Mallam Shekarau, the court affirmed that the chairmen were legally and, duly elected and as such, he  had no power to sack them.

“If he does not  stop  it, I may embarrass him, his government and even the president, whom we all know is an advocate of  the rule of law. I am sure President Muhammadu Buhari will not attempt what the governor is trying to do.”