Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has declared that the unlawful dissolution of local government councils by state governors amounts to a treasonable offence. He made this known on Wednesday at an event organized by the Nigerian Bar Association in Abuja.
Fagbemi, who was represented by the Director of Civil Appeals in the Ministry of Justice, Tijani Gazali, noted that despite clear constitutional provisions and a Supreme Court ruling against such interference, some governors and state assemblies continue to dissolve elected local government councils unlawfully.
He pointed out that the Nigerian Constitution clearly protects local government autonomy and prohibits state governments from taking over their administration. However, several governors have ignored these legal provisions and continued to interfere in the governance of local councils, disregarding the rule of law.
The AGF further noted that many state Attorneys General and Commissioners for Justice have failed in their duty to properly advise their governors on the illegality of such actions. He called for strict penalties against any governor who engages in the unlawful dissolution of local government councils.
