BY RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka
The Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, Chief Barr. Ifeatu Obi-Okoye has clarified the status of Transition Committee (TC) Chairmen, saying that contrary to insinuations of illegality being peddled by opposition elements in the State, he has defended the legal status of the TC Chairmen.
Obi-Okoye who spoke at length in defense of the legal status of TC Chairmen during an exclusive interview with our correspondent at APGA office in Awka, said section 7 of the Constitution of the Federation allows the State Assembly of every State in Nigeria to make a law making provision for a democratically elected local government chairman.
He said it is within the powers of the State Assembly to make laws that govern the process for the election of local government chairmen.
He added in the case of Anambra State, there is an existing law made in 2002 which allows the State Assembly constitute themselves into an electoral college to elect members of the Transition Committee headed by the Chairmen.
The APGA chieftain noted that the aforementioned law was called the Transitional Provision Law which was supposed to be the stopgap between a proper general election and the process of also electing without going to a referendum.
He said his position remained that TC Chairmen are democratically elected even though without legislative councils in the local government areas.
According to him, the TC Chairmen are not illegal rather they are recognised by law and are products of the democratic process of the electoral college of the House of Assembly.
In the case of Anambra, he opined that the present State Government is willing and able to constitute the proper bodies and personnel for the conduct of local government polls but cases pending at the Supreme Court are jeopardising the entire process.
He said that unless and until parties involved withdraw their litigations, local government elections in Anambra State might be a mirage.