Richard Elesho
Barely six weeks to the 27 January 2024 exit date for Alhaji Yahaya Bello to vacate office as governor of Kogi State, all the 21 local government chairmen and 239 councillors in the state have vacated their offices. Their three year tenure expired on Thursday, December 14, 2023.
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,
Barr. S.M. Ozigi Deedat confirmed the exit of the council chairmen and councillors in a statement obtained in Lokoja.
The chairmen and councillors were elected in a controversial poll on Dec 12, 2020, and sworn in three days later on December 15.
Deedat congratulated the former Executive Chairmen for their successful end of tenure in Office and wished them well in their future endeavours.
Deedat was, however, silent on when the next local government election will be conducted in the state. His statement reads, in part:
‘On behalf of the management and Staff of the Ministry For Local Government And Chieftaincy Affairs, I wish to congratulate the Executive Chairmen across the twenty-one (21) Local Government Areas of Kogi State, for their successful end of tenure in Office as the Executive Chairmen.
“It is noteworthy that you all have played great partnership roles in our applaudable Security State, infrastructural developments, citizens’ welfarism and lots more that we have recorded with the available resources from the National down to the Local Government areas.
“I celebrate you all, as I wish you better lives in good health, after office.
“Congratulations to you all.”
Talks are going on hush tones that governor Bello will constitute caretaker committees for the councils. Lobbies are currently going on for membership of the committees.