Jelili Sulaimon, the Chairman of Alimosho Local Government Council, has taken legal action against the Lagos State House of Assembly, accusing it of illegal interference in the council's activities. Sulaimon and the council filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to affirm the autonomy of local governments.
In the case, they argue that the Lagos State Assembly and its Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, lack the constitutional authority to exercise oversight functions over the local government. According to the plaintiffs, a local government with its own elected legislative council should not be subject to the oversight of the state assembly.
The lawsuit names the Lagos State House of Assembly, Speaker Obasa, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, the Inspector-General of Police, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) as respondents.
This legal battle comes after the Lagos State Assembly suspended Chairman Sulaimon indefinitely on allegations of financial recklessness and misconduct. In response, the plaintiffs, represented by lawyer Abdul Mahmud, argue that the move violates the independence of local governments, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling that supports their claim.
"The suit is focused on asserting the autonomy of local governments. Local governments are not subordinate agencies of the Lagos State government, and the Speaker cannot lawfully impose oversight on them," the plaintiffs contend. They argue that the local government has its own legislative council that should regulate areas such as market operations, which fall under its jurisdiction.
The conflict escalated when, on August 27, the Lagos Assembly passed a resolution instructing Chairman Sulaimon to terminate the contract of a market toll collector, Omotolani Adedayo, and replace her with another contractor, Ejigbadero Abiodun. The plaintiffs claim that Speaker Obasa threatened to suspend Sulaimon if he did not comply with the directive.
In an affidavit submitted by Dare Ogunkoya, Secretary of Alimosho Local Government, he explained that market operations, including the collection of tolls, fall under the exclusive control of the council, as outlined in the 1999 Constitution. Ogunkoya also revealed that market stakeholders had expressed dissatisfaction with the assembly’s imposition of Abiodun as the toll collector, a concern that was communicated to the assembly in a letter dated September 4.
The plaintiffs argue that the assembly's actions amount to intimidation and an overreach of its authority. They have asked the court to declare that the assembly's resolution has no legal standing and to affirm that the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have the constitutional right to suspend a local government chairman.
