ALGON Leadership Crisis: Police Order Factions to Stay off Association’s National Secretariat

By Adedayo Akinwale

The Commissioner of Police FCT command, Bala Ciroma, has directed the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) factions to stay off its national headquarters in Abuja pending the determination of the court case to resolve the leadership crisis.

ALGON has been enmeshed in leadership crisis for about eight months following the emergence of Hon. David Alabi of Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State.

However those against his emergence insisted that Alabi was not constitutionally qualified to contest because his LCDA was not recognised as one of the 774 local governments areas as contained in the First Schedule, Part I & II of the 1999 Constitution and as decided by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case between Attorney General of Lagos State v. Attorney General of the Federation.

The chairman of Interim Management Committee (IMC) Mr. Abdullahi Maje, while addressing a press conference Thursday in Abuja said the defective scenario occasioned with Alabi’s emergence was in contravention of section 13 and 14 of ALGON Constitution foisted on the members a necessity that led to his removal by the National Executive Council (NEC) on 6th September 2019 in compliance with Section 15.2 of the ALGON constitution.

Maje said as expected with most human, resistance and ego took over some of the actors who were in the minority, but added that the General Assembly of ALGON which is the highest decision making organ of the Association invoked relevant Sections of it’s constitution and set up the IMC after its Extra-Ordinary virtual meeting held on 30th May, to pilot its affairs fir six months.

The chairman however assured that the election to fill various national offices of the association would be held by December.

Asked why the IMC was holding its activities outside ALGON Secretariat, Maje said, “presently there is a faction in ALGON and the case is before the court and we were equally with the Commissioner of Police yesterday (Wednesday) who asked the two factions to hold activities outside the ALGON national secretariat pending the determination of the case before the court.”

He noted that the tenure of the IMC was expected to last six months, but it may be elongated depending on the case before the court.

On his part, the Chairman of Ekiti- Local Government in Kwara state, Mr. Yinka Dallas, said ALGON needs to form a strong synergy with the federal government considering the level of insecurity in the country, adding that the people at the grassroots are the most affected and therefore ALGON cannot afford to standstill.

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