FCTA Suspends New Council Chairmen Inauguration Over Court Injunction

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In adherence to a court judgment, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has suspended the planned inauguration of the newly elected Six Area Council Chairmen previously scheduled for Friday, May 20th.

The FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello disclosing this however said efforts are ongoing to vacate the injunction or appeal it for a correct position of the law.

“As an administration that is very conscious of the need to abide by the rule of law, even though we are not satisfied with the judgment of the court, we have no option but to comply,” said the minister who appealed to everyone to be calm, to be law-abiding and await the outcome of the legal processes.

The tenure of the current chairmen ends Thursday, May 19th and the inauguration of the new ones that were elected a few weeks ago is scheduled for Friday, May 20 is now on-hold following an injunction from a court in the Federal Capital Territory

FCTA in March of 2019 held the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, through which six council chairmen and their councillors were elected after a very competitive and rigorous process.

These six Council Chairmen of the FCT were inaugurated on the 20th of May 2019, under the 2010 Electoral Act. Based on that Act, the tenure of the Chairmen ends on Thursday19th May and the new chairmen, while the new chairmen that emerged from February elections this year ought to be sworn in on 20th May 2022.

“But a few days ago, we received communication of a judgment by a court in the Federal Capital Territory directing us to suspend the inauguration of the new Chairmen, based on the fact that the current Chairmen’s tenure would end today, 19th May 2022′, states the minister.

“According to the judgment, based on the recently signed Electoral Act of 2022, which stipulates that the tenure of office of the Chairmen of the Area Councils in FCT would now be four years instead of three years, the existing Chairmen whose tenures were meant to expire or end today, have another one year to continue, based on the new law.

The minister stated that the court injunction has raised a lot of concerns within certain sections of the Federal Capital Territory residents but appealed to all to exercise patience while the administration seeks the correct position of the law through a legal process.

FCT is a creation of law. The FCT has always been known to be a place of unity, peace and good governance and populated by law-abiding residents. Please let us continue the way we are and await the court processes. At the end of the court process, the clear direction of what needs to be done would be clearly stated and then as an administrator, we will do the needful.

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