Guardian

THE Taraba State Conference for Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has concluded plans to drag the state House of Assembly to court over the suspension from office the council boss of Ibi Local Council and the councillors.

In a letter signed by the leadership of the various political parties, CNPP described the action of the House as ‘illegal’, stating that the suspended chairman and his counselors were ‘duly elected officials’.

The letter addressed to the Speaker, a copy which was obtained by The Guardian, was also copied the acting governor, the Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of the state, as well as the office of the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC).

It would be recalled that following an outbreak of religious crisis which led to wanton killings and destruction of property in Ibi Local Council Area, the state House of Assembly set up an ad-hoc committee, which looked into the cause of the crisis.

The committee headed by the deputy Speaker of the House, Abel Peter Diah, recommended the suspension of both the council boss and his lieutenants.

The action, according to Diah was aimed at restoring peace in the area and to as well serve as deterrents to other council chairmen, who according to him, always shy away from their assigned responsibilities

Though the upheaval was condemned by the CNPP, it however, said the suspension was undemocratic.

The action, as further stated in the letter “eroded part 1, sub-section 1-3 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended”.

Rather than continue to use sole administrator to govern the council as against the wish of the people, the Speaker and his members, CNPP felt should as a matter of urgency direct the TSIEC to conduct election in the council.

“We are urging your parliament’s to mandate TSIEC to immediately declare the council seats vacant and conduct elections thereafter to normalise the situation”.

Instead of forcefully ejecting from office elected official, recall or impeachment process, CNPP observed, would have being the correct step.  Stressing that “whatever wrong done by elected representatives, at worst should be subject of impeachment or recalling back, in obedience of constitutional provision.

A worker of the TSIEC, who bared his mind on the issue to The Guardian, said the commission has long expected such reaction “because the suspension of the chairman and the counselors ought not to be. We expected the members to tread the path of democracy”.