The Anambra State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the recent appointment of Transition Committee (TC) chairmen for the 21 local government areas by Governor Charles Soludo as a blatant disregard for democratic principles.
PDP State Chairman, Engr. Chigozie Igwe, who disclosed this in a statement signed and made available to Tribune Online in Awka on Sunday, described the move as a “theft of democracy,” decrying the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) administration’s decision to conduct primaries and elect councillors and chairmen without adhering to democratic processes.
According to Igwe, “the local government is the foundation of democratic governance, and hijacking it is a recipe for disaster.
“Governor Soludo’s actions have deprived the people of Anambra State of essential amenities like schools, healthcare, markets, and infrastructure, despite approximately ₦195 billion accruing to local government areas over the past two years.
“Instead, the Soludo administration has allocated a paltry sum to its handpicked TC chairmen, leaving the people in dire need of basic services.
“This is gross mismanagement of public funds and a betrayal of the trust reposed in the government.”
The PDP warned that continuing to allocate substantial funds without elected Local Government Councils is counterproductive, particularly in the face of heightened insecurity in the state. The party added that APGA’s actions have undermined democracy in Anambra State, demanding a return to democratic governance and the conduct of proper local government elections.
Similarly, a group, South East APC Young Progressive Forum have also said that the appointment of the TC Chairmen after the expiration of their tenure is unacceptable to Ndi Anambra.
According to the National Coordinator of the forum, Comrade Paschal Candle, in a statement in Awka, conducting local government elections is a statutory thing, and it is enshrined in the constitution, and not something that any aspirant to a position should be promising anyone.
“The transition committee used by the governor to run the 21 local government areas is unconstitutional and it is supposed to be a makeshift thing, pending election, but you now find out that they are almost permanent, and their tenures are renewed every three months. That is not right.
“We are not appealing to the governor, we are only reminding him of what he should have done, which he hasn’t done. He is obligated to conduct local government elections because it is statutory.
“Section 7 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The constitution stated that there must be democratically elected local government officers. So what is happening in Anambra is very disappointing.
“At stake is trillions of Naira of local government funds. Between January and May 2024, all three tiers of government shared N5.759 trillion from the federation account. The 774 LGAs received N1.416 trillion on this figure. Yet at the Local Level, we are not seeing the development,” Candle stated.
Tribune Online had earlier reported that the Anambra State House of Assembly, last week Thursday, confirmed the appointment of 21 Transition Committee Chairmen and Councilors for the 21 Local Government Areas of the state for a serving period of three months as directed by the governor.
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