Prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, has openly criticised the Lagos State House of Assembly for suspending Suleiman Jelili, the chairman of Alimosho Local Government.
In a strongly worded statement, Agbakoba condemned the suspension as a direct violation of Nigeria’s constitutional principles, asserting that neither the House of Assembly nor the governor of any state has the legal authority to suspend or remove an elected local government chairman or vice-chairman.
“The House of Assembly or a governor of a state does not have the power to remove or suspend an elected chairman or vice-chairman of a council; it is absolutely unconstitutional,” Agbakoba declared.
He emphasised that the 774 council chairmen across Nigeria derive their mandates directly from the people who elected them, not from any political figure, group, or institution like a state assembly.
According to Agbakoba, any attempt to undermine this democratic process contradicts the values enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, which prioritises the will of the people.
