LG Autonomy: Kogi PDP Raises Fresh Alarm, Says “Ododo Plotting to Bypass Supreme Court Judgement”

• Kogi PDP has levelled a fresh allegation against the governor of the state, Usman Ododo, weeks after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local government councilmen
• The opposition party in the state alleged that Governor Ododo was plotting to rig the upcoming local government elections in the state
• The PDP claimed that Ododo’s declaration that the Joint Allocation Account was constitutional showed his ignorance of the Supreme Court’s ruling

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi state chapter, has alleged that Governor Usman Ododo and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are plotting to circumvent the Supreme Court's ruling on local government autonomy.

Recall that the Supreme Court, in its judgement delivered on Thursday, July 11, granted financial autonomy to the local governments in Nigeria.

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The apex court ordered direct allocation payment to all the 774 local government areas in Nigeria and stopped the governors from dissolving the local government administration and appointing caretaker committees.

The seven-member panel of justices held that the governors had abused their powers by retaining and using the funds meant for LGAs.

Ododo accused of plotting to control LG finances

In a statement signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Dansofo, and made available to Legit.ng on Wednesday, July 24, Kogi PDP accused Governor Ododo of planning to install his loyalists as local government chairmen to maintain control over local government accounts.

The party also alleged that Governor Ododo's declaration that the Joint Allocation Account (JAC) is constitutional shows his ignorance of the Supreme Court's ruling, which abolished JAC.

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The PDP also recalled the era of Yahaya Bello's administration, where local government chairmen would withdraw funds and deliver them to the government house. The party alleged that Ododo, as the then auditor general of local government, was complicit in this practice.

"The PDP expressed no surprise at Ododo's stance on Local Government autonomy, given his past record. Ododo is already rigging the upcoming local government election to impose his loyalists and compromise local government authority," the statement read.

Political activist reacts as Ododo signs anti-corruption bill

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Usman Ododo was urged to uphold the rule of law in his quest to erase corruption in Kogi state.

A political activist in Kogi state, Comrade Usman Okai Austin, made this call as he condemned the 'unjust' application of state power regarding the EFCC's case against Yahaya Bello.

In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Comrade Okai urged Ododo to give way for the ‘probe of Yayaya Bello's alleged N80 billion financial crime’.

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Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng