From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure yesterday ordered the immediate dissolution of all the 18 local governments in the state.
The court presided over by Justice S. A .Sidiq also sacked the chairmen and councillors of the councils.
There was a shouting match in the court before the judge eventually ruled, as Mr. Femi Aborisade, who represented the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the suit filed by the party against last year’s local councils election in the state challenged the judge’s action on the matter.
The National Chairman of the party and former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, was also in the court.
Mr. Akinladapo Ogunleye, the solicitor general of the state represented the state government.
Also, Mr. Olusola Oke announced his appearance for the chairmen and councilors, who were claimants in the suit.
But Justice Sidiq, in his brief ruling, said he had earlier given a verdict that recognised one Mr. Segun Ogodo as the counsel to the PRP, saying since he had earlier ruled on legal representation, he would not go back to it. He insisted that Ogodo, whom he had earlier recognised should stand in for PRP.
In a twist, Aborisade and Musa said they had an application to discontinue with the case, while the judge insisted that he would continue with the case irrespective of the application for the withdrawal.
Justice Sidiq gave a judgment dissolving the 18 local governments, after he overruled all the applications filed by lawyer to the claimants.