GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State yesterday insisted that the dissolution of the state's local government councils stands, saying there is no going back on the issue as the sack of the council bosses remained irreversible. Also, the PDP in the state denied incubating any plans towards declaration of a state of emergency.

The governor spoke in Akure while swearing in the new Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr. Aderotimi Adelola and his Chief of Staff (CoS), Dr. Kola Ademujimi.

The Federal Government had on Monday told the governor to follow the due process and allow the rule of law to prevail in the matter of the local government councils, following which the governor took the local government chairmen to court.

Meanwhile in the House of Representatives yesterday, a motion raised by Farouk Lawan (PDP/Kano) calling on the House of Representatives to restrain Governor Mimiko from what he described as "dangerous moves against democracy" caused a split in the House between members of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and members of the opposition parties who later staged a walk out, when it became obvious that the motion was going to be carried.

The Ondo State governor reiterated that the local government bosses remained sacked until the court rule otherwise, urging the aggrieved parties to await the outcome of the court ruling.

He said government decided to dissolve the executive and legislative arms of the 18 local government areas of the state after due consultations with his legal team.

Dr Mimiko added that the atmosphere in the state after the dissolution showed that the people of the state welcomed the development as they did not vote for the former chairmen.

He however appealed to the people of the state to remain calm until an amicable solution is found to the crisis.

We're not working towards emergency declaration, says Ondo PDP

At a press conference, the state chairman of the PDP, Dr Tayo Dairo, denied the allegation that it was instigating the declaration of a state of emergency in the state as a result of the dissolution of the councils.

Dairo said the party was shocked that rather than explaining his programme in his maiden address, the governor was inciting the people of the state.

He said the governor was only distorting facts by saying that there was a subsisting injunction restraining the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODSIEC) from conducting the December 15, 2007 local government election.

Mimiko had in his address to the people of the state on Tuesday alleged that the PDP in the state was instigating violence in the state to give room for the declaration of a state of emergency.

Dairo said the only order given by Justice Olanrewaju Akeredolu restrained only the members of ODSIEC headed by Elkanah Akintade and not ODSIEC as an institution.

He said: "The truth is that Justice O.O. Akeredolu did give an order restraining the then seven ODSIEC commissioners from acting as commissioners, as their qualification for that office was the issue before the court.

And with the resignation of these commissioners, the order ceased to have effect."

On the resumption of the local government chairmen, Dairo said: "Our party's position really is that at no time were the local government councils dissolved in Ondo State.

"By provision of section 12 (4) of the Ondo State local government amendment law (2007) a local government council can only be dissolved upon a sanction by two-thirds majority of the members of the Ondo State House of Assembly. Governor Mimiko never sought this mandatory legislative approval before the purported dissolution".

He therefore said the view of the party was that the broadcast of the governor was only a calculated attempt to divert the attention of the people from the disuse of governance.

House divided over Ondo crisis

In the House of Representatives yesterday, Farouk Lawan had raised a point of order bordering on an issue of urgent national importance.

"Mr. Speaker since Mimiko became Governor of Ondo State under the banner of the Labour Party, he has carried on as if he was not a benefactor of the rule of law.

"He has frozen the local government accounts and has sacked all the duly elected local government chairmen. The man is generating so much heat in the polity and I think his moves are dangerous to democracy," he said.

But swiftly opposing the motion, Hon. Suleiman Kawo, (ANPP/Kano) raised Order 9 Rule I of the House rule, saying a motion on the issue would contravene the House rules since the matter was already in court.

Similarly, Minority Leader, Hon. Ali Ndume supported the argument of Kawo saying it would be against parliamentary practice to go on with the motion.

This prompted the Speaker, Hon. Dimeji Bankole to put the motion to a voice vote. There was no clear winner, upon which he called for a division.

At this point, it became apparent that no member of the PDP who voted under the cover of voice vote against the motion would have the nerves to stand physically against the party.

Proceedings were disrupted for nearly thirty minutes as members took on one another in a heated debate.

Eventually, Ndume led members of the minority out of the Chambers.

Later on, when the proceedings commenced, it was announced by the Clerk of the House that there were eight absentee votes, 47 against and 157 in support of the motion.

The majority then reached a consensus that the motion be debated today, live on television.

But, the minority had gone into a close door meeting. After an hour, they came out and briefed the Press.

Hon. Ndume Spoke: "We raised Order 9 (5) of our House Order. It states that if there is any case before the Courts, then the House is not disposed to legislate or discourse on it until the case is disposed. And Section 6 of our Constitution gives the Judiciary the independence on such matters.

We felt that as members who swore to defend the Constitution, we cannot sit in that hallowed chamber to be part of illegality. That was why we decided to walk out to make the world know that we are not part of such illegality.

"The chairmen of all the local governments in Ondo, the House of Assembly and even the governor is in court over the matter", he said.

He however clarified that the Minority was not boycotting other parliamentary proceedings, but asserted that anytime the issue comes up again, they would stage a walk out. After the press conference, they filed back into the Chamber.