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The Lagos State House of Assembly has called upon the State’s Attorney General, Lawal Pedro (SAN), and Solicitor General, Oyenuga Olanrewaju, to appear before a joint committee due to a controversial letter from the Ministry of Justice concerning the start date of the Local Government Administration Law 2025.
Earlier in May, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu enacted the Local Government Administration Law 2025, which outlines the governance framework for the tenures, successions, and disqualifications of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen across the state's 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas.
This new legislation establishes a definitive legal framework for leadership transitions in instances of death, resignation, or political defection, and clearly states that a Vice Chairman who steps into the role of Chairman under these circumstances will be regarded as having completed a full term, regardless of the length of service.
On Tuesday, Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, made the summons public, highlighting the necessity to clarify the executive’s stance on a law that has already been signed.
The controversy originated from a letter dated June 24, 2025, from the Solicitor General’s office, which indicated that the Local Government Administration Law 2015, although assented to by the governor on May 7, 2025, would only be effective from August 4, 2025, according to a ‘Commencement Order 2025’.
This letter, titled “Lagos State Government: Commencement Order, Local Government Administration Law 2025,” referenced the recent local government primary elections conducted by the All Progressive Congress in the state.
The communication declared that the Local Government Administration Law should not be operational until August 4, 2025.
This claim was met with strong opposition from House members who contended that an executive order cannot supersede an established law. The Chairman of the Committee on Local Government Administration, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development, Sanni Babatunde, described the executive order as delicate and sensitive, stating that the Local Government Administration Bill 2025 had already received the governor's approval. He stressed that the law was crafted by lawmakers, and any efforts to alter it could undermine legislative responsibility.
Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions, and LASIEC, Oladipo Ajomale, expressed astonishment at the order, mentioning that the law in question had been publicly available since the day it was signed by the governor in May.
He questioned the abrupt shift in stance after the law had been enacted.
Lawmaker Sa’ad Olumoh reiterated that no Executive Order could override a law that had already been granted assent by the governor.
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa remarked that this situation presents an opportunity to test the robustness of the law, allowing scrutiny of the legislative process to verify if it was carried out correctly.
He emphasized that the law-making process concludes with the governor's approval, and if the governor refuses to give assent, the law can be returned to the Assembly.
In another matter, the House received a letter from the Otto-Awori Local Government addressing the “Swearing-in of Abdulkareem Abioun as the substantive Executive Chairman of Otto-Awori Local Council Development Area.”
The letter pointed out that following the passing of former Chairman, Prince Musibau Ashafa, the law stipulates that the Vice Chairman must take on the role of Chairman in cases of death, resignation, or removal to ensure governance continuity and stability.
Nevertheless, according to the law, the Vice Chairman will be referred to as the acting Chairman. This situation raised concerns regarding adherence to the rule of law at the local government level. The local government has urged the Assembly to investigate and ensure that Abioun is sworn in as the Chairman of Otto Awori LCDA to prevent any breaches of law and maintain order in the state. Following this, Speaker Obasa instructed the Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, to inform the governor of the development.
Consequently, the House has invited Abioun, the Council Manager, and legal representatives to appear before the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
