APC sues Ugwuanyi over planned councils’ caretaker committees

bibing

The All Progressives Congress in Enugu State has dragged Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to court over an alleged plan to set up caretaker committees to run the 17 local government councils in the state.

The party has asked an Enugu State High Court, presided by Justice R. O. Odugu, to restrain the governor from setting up the caretaker committees.

The suit will come up for hearing on December 16.

Following the expiration of the tenure of the local government chairmen, there are strong indications that Ugwuanyi would appoint caretaker committees to manage the councils.

However, in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, the Enugu State Chapter of the APC said it was opposed the plan, which it described as a ploy by the governor to settle his ‘cronies’ and ‘goons’.

The statement, signed by the state publicity secretary, Mrs Kate Offor, disclosed that the APC had already sued the governor and the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission over the alleged plan.

“Be it is known that the All Progressives Congress, Enugu State Chapter, is vehemently opposed to the setting up of caretaker committees to run the Enugu State local government councils, as canvassed by His Excellency, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, governor of Enugu State.

“We say capital no to the setting up of caretaker committees to run Local Government Councils in Enugu State on the grounds that it is unconstitutional, ultra vires and goes against the grains of timeless best tenets of democracy,” the APC spokesperson stressed.

Offor noted that the APC was already preparing to contest local council elections, before it emerged that the governor was planning to jettison polls and set up caretaker committees instead.

She described the plan as autocratic.

Source: Punch