LG Dissolution: APC Needs Training In Democratic Procedures –PDP

Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) requires training in democratic governance.
The PDP, which was reacting to calls for the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly in the dissolution of local governments in the state, said APC’s abysmally poor knowledge about democratic processes and procedures amount to a great disservice to the teeming population of Nigerians who fought to send the military men back to the barracks in 1999.
A statement by the Oyo State PDP Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji, said the APC needed to be educated on constitutional procedures as far as Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) is concerned.
The party said: “It is appalling that a party that has led this state, the Pacesetter, for eight years, could still harbour undemocratic tenets, such that it could be calling for invocation of extra-constitutional means for the resolution of issues relating to the management of local government councils in the state.
“Initially, we thought such an idea would only be bandied by the sacked council chairmen, who were blinded by unbridled ambition. We were, however, shocked to see the APC regurgitating a similar idea earlier circulated by the illegal council chairmen.
“Let us freely offer the APC the advice they really deserve. The 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly guarantees the democratic system of governance in the local governments. The same constitution also enables the Houses of Assembly of the states to make laws for the administration of local governments, while also guaranteeing the establishment of joint state and local government accounts.”
The PDP wondered why the APC, which only conducted election into the local governments in the seventh year of its eight-year reign in Oyo State is now playing to the gallery on constitutionality, querying why the party did not remember the Presidency, the National Assembly and the rule of law when it was recycling caretaker committees as heads of the local councils.
“We need to remind the APC in Oyo State that the election that brought in the so-called members of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, whom it is now fighting for, was only conducted in the seventh year of the tenure and the election was against all known tenets of democracy and rule of law.
“We are aware that the said council election that was conducted by former governor Abiola Ajimobi was held in defiance of injunctions of the courts.”