The crisis in the Edo State local government councils took a different dimension on Thursday as several persons were reportedly wounded when gunmen allegedly invaded the Uhunmwode Local Government Council headquarters in Egor.

The chairman of the council, Kenneth Adodo, accused policemen from the State Government House of being responsible for the shooting.

This development followed reports of the impeachment of the chairmen of Uhunmwode and Orhionmwon local government councils by elected councillors.

Reacting swiftly to his own impeachment, the Owan East chairman, Prince Aminu Okodo-Kadiri, maintained that his purported impeachment and that of his vice chairman, Clement Ojebuovbo, were unconstitutional and illegal.

The councillors in Orhionmwon had on Wednesday impeached the Leader of the House, Daniel Osariemen, and replaced him with Chuks Isan, claiming that Osariemen was being mobilised to impeach the chairman, Newman Ugiagbe, and his vice chairman, Midwest Ogbebor.

The purportedly suspended leader, Osariemen, was accused of leading unknown persons to take over the secretariat of the council in Abudu, where he purportedly resumed as the acting chairman of the local government area.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Orhionmwon Local Government chairman, Roy Osariemen, described the action in Abudu as illegal, stating that Newman Ugiagbe remained the chairman of the local government area.

Addressing newsmen in Benin City on Thursday, the chairman of Owan East Local Government Council, Okodo-Kadiri, said his purported impeachment processes were full of irregularities, which he claimed went against the provisions of the law.

He referenced the Edo State Local Government Law of 2000 (as amended in 2002), which outlined specific procedures for the removal of council executives.

According to him, the councillors failed to establish a seven-member investigative panel and noted that the mace used during the impeachment was not the official mace of the Owan East Local Government Council.

“The governor alleged that council chairmen embezzled N50 million meant for salaries, but this claim lacks merit.

“Monthly salary expenditures far exceed N50 million in most councils, and salaries were paid promptly up to November, contrary to the governor’s claims.

“If funds were misappropriated, where is the proof? Our bank records are clear, and no salaries are owed.

“Moreover, the purported impeachment revealed that two key councillors were involved in the process—Hon. Haruna Mohammed and another member from Ward Seven, who had been suspended for gross misconduct prior to the session,” he said.

He argued that the participation of the suspended councillors in the process rendered the proceedings invalid and emphasised that his office was never notified of their reinstatement, as required by due process.

Many injured as Edo LG councils impeach chairmen