Crisis Rocks Secretariat As Suspended LG Boss, Vice Clash Over Control Of Office
There was heightened tension at the Alimosho Local Government Area secretariat as the suspended Chairman, Jelili Sulaimon, and his Vice Chairman, Akinpelu Johnson, clashed on Tuesday over control of the council office.
It was reported that, Sulaimon had been suspended from office by the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday due to alleged misconduct.
The Assembly further directed the council’s Manager and Treasurer to recognize Johnson as the acting Chairman and support him in effectively managing the council.
However, defying the suspension, Sulaimon returned to the secretariat on Tuesday, where he was met by a crowd of supporters in a show of solidarity.
Meanwhile, Johnson, who had received an official appointment letter to take over from Sulaimon, also arrived at the office.
According to reports, both Sulaimon and Johnson were unable to access the Chairman’s office, which had been locked. After a brief standoff, the two leaders reportedly left the premises for an undisclosed location, leaving the situation unresolved.
Meanwhile, four out of the seven councillors in the council have denounced the purported suspension of Johnson by their three colleagues.
The councillors, in a statement by the Deputy Leader, Mojisola Ayeni (Ward D), Saheed Adejoke (Ward C), Rasheed Semiu (Ward E) and Elizabeth Fashina (Ward F), commended the House of Assembly for intervening, while urging stakeholders in the council to go about their activities.
The statement, titled ‘Illegal Suspension of Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson, Vice Chairman Alimosho Local Government,’ reads in part: “We, the undersigned legislators from Alimosho Local Government, officially dissociate ourselves from the staged managed and illegal suspension of Mr Akinpelu Johnson, the Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Government.
“We condemn the purported suspension of the Vice Chairman by minority legislators, who acted on instructions of the validly suspended Chairman.
“We would like to emphasize that at no time was the Vice Chairman suspended hence our readiness to support him going forward with the administration of the Local Government.”
