…moves to conduct election of legitimate leadership

…calls for Buhari, Nigerians’ intervention to save soul of ALGON

By Gabriel Ewepu

AS leadership crisis continue to rock the umbrella body of 774 Local Government Areas, Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, the Interim Management Committee, IMC, Wednesday, allegedly dismissed Hon. Kolade Alabi for parading as him President of the association.

This was contained in a joint press statement signed by National Publicity Secretary, IMC, Hon. Ashonibaire Jide, where it condemned the alleged National Executive Meeting/Retreat held by Hon Alabi in Lagos.

The IMC consisting of Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Councilors Forum who are statutory members of the association also pointed that Alabi has been stopped by a subsisting court order restricting him from parading as President of the Association.

According to IMC in the statement, the dissolved Alabi-led faction of the association is plotting with shadow political parties to hijack and sellout the association, which also have held a meeting in violation of a subsisting court order restricting his faction from any meeting of such under the auspices of ALGON.

The statement reads in part, “Our attention has been drawn to the illegal and unconstitutional National Executive Council meeting/ retreat held in Lagos by dissolved leadership of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Hon. Kolade David Alabi, a chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area who is hell bent on disregarding an order of a competent court of Jurisdiction restraining him and his cronies from parading as leadership of the association.

“Information at our disposal has revealed that Alabi who is constitutionally not qualified to hold a position in the association, currently held a National Executive Council meeting/ Retreat posing as the president of the association to discuss the current revenue allocation in the country, and in flagrant violation of the constitution guiding ALGON, also appointed the Chairman of Nasarawa from lafia LGA Hon. Aminu Muázu Maifata as Deputy President and the Chairman of Takai Local Government Area of Kano State, Hon. Muhammad Baffa Takai as Treasurer of the association respectively.”

The statement also cried out for President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians to save the soul of ALGON.

“As concerned and statutory members of ALGON, we are through this press statement preempting the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and the general public at large about the recent plan of calumny against the Interim Management Committee of ALGON led by Hon. Abdullahi Shuaibu Maje by the criminal minded Hon. Alabi Kolade and his co-travelers. Alabi; a law breaker who is on a mission to completely bury the association it has stripped of its good name did not only invite all the local government chairmen, but equally directed that they attend the meeting alongside their council secretaries and treasures who as civil servant, are not member of the Association.

“ The Interim Management Committee will on Thursday the 18th Day of November, 2021, hold its National Executive Meeting to officially address the issues bothering on the revenue allocation, and also to officially put up the electoral committee for a proper election of a substantive leadership of the association, as we speak Chairmen from the recognized 774 local government areas are as we write currently in Abuja for plans to elect a recognized local government chairman as President of the association and we are very hopeful that you the gentlemen of the press would ensure that the report of whatever development which will be in favour of the association is dutifully articulated and disseminated to the general public.”It added.

In conclusion, the IMC in the statement assured members and Nigerians of restoring stolen glory of ALGON, urged President Muhammadu Buhari, all Local Government Chairmen, Commissioners for Local Government in the 36 States and FCT as well as the general public “to resist and disregard anything emanating from the camp of Hon. Alabi Kolade Alabi who has overtime become an indefinite lawbreaker.”