The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party has described as bizarre, illegal and unconstitutional the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory high court that directed the Minister, Bello Mohammed to suspend the inauguration of the newly elected area council officials.
Justice Ibrahim Mohammed had based his judgment on the new Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates that the tenure of office of the chairmen of the area councils in FCT would now be four years, instead of three, an indication that the outgoing chairmen whose tenure were meant to expire on May 19, have another one year in office.
Briefing journalists on the development at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba who disclosed plans to challenge the decision said the judgment is aimed at elongating the tenure of the officials elected in 2019.
Ologunagba insisted that the four-year tenure provided for the chairmen and councillors in the new Electoral Act 2022, upon which the judgment is based is not binding on the outgoing officials who were elected under the 2010 Electoral Act that provided for a three-year tenure starting from the date of their swearing-in.
