The Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned the State’s Attorney General, Lawal Pedro (SAN), and Solicitor General, Oyenuga Olanrewaju, to appear before a joint committee, following a contentious letter from the Ministry of Justice regarding the commencement date of the Local Government Administration Law 2025.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had earlier in May signed into law the Local Government Administration Law 2025 — a legislative framework that governs the tenure, succession, and disqualification of chairmen and vice Chairmen across the 20 local government and 37 local council development areas of the state.
The new law provides a clear legal structure for leadership succession in cases of death, resignation, or political defection, and firmly stipulates that a Vice Chairman who assumes the office of Chairman due to any such circumstance shall be considered to have served a full term, regardless of the duration.
However, on Tuesday, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, announced the summons, emphasising the need to clarify the executive’s position on a law that has already been assented to.
The controversy stemmed from a letter dated June 24, 2025, from the Solicitor General’s office, which stated that the Local Government Administration Law 2015, despite being assented to by the governor on May 7, 2025, would only come into operation on August 4, 2025, by virtue of a ‘Commencement Order 2025’.
The letter titled “Lagos State Government: Commencement Order, Local Government Administration Law 2025″ referred to the recent conduct of the All Progressive Congress Local Government Primary election in the state.
The letter stipulated that the Local Government Administration Law should not come into effect until August 4, 2025.
The assertion drew sharp criticism from members of the House, who argued that an executive order could not override an existing law.
Describing the Executive Order as delicate and sensitive, the Chairman of the Committee on Local Government Administration, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Sanni Babatunde, said the Local Government Administration Bill 2025 had already been assented to by the governor.
He maintained that the law was put together by lawmakers, and any attempt to vary it would undermine the legislative duties.
The Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, Oladipo Ajomale, expressed surprise at the order, noting that the law in question had already been made public since the day of assent by the governor in May.
He questioned the sudden turnaround after the law had already been signed.
Lawmaker Sa’ad Olumoh reiterated that no Executive Order could override a law that had already been assented to by the governor.
In his submission, the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, said the development was an opportunity to test the spirit of the law. “It allows us to test how strong and viable the law is.”
He further noted that if a law was challenged, it was an opportunity to look into the process of making it, if truly the lawmakers had done the right thing on the law.
He emphasised that the process of making law ended with the assent of the governor on the law, noting that where the governor refuses to grant assent, such a law can be brought back to the Assembly.
In a related development, the House also received a letter from the Otto-Awori Local Government titled, “Swearing-in of Abdulkareem Abioun as the substantive Executive Chairman of Otto-Awori Local Council Development Area.”
The letter noted that following the demise of former Chairman, Prince Musibau Ashafa, and the provision of the Law states that the Vice Chairman shall assume the Office of the Chairman upon the death of the Chairman, resignation, or removal from Office, to ensure continuity and stability in governance.
However, in light of the provision, the Vice Chairman shall be addressed as the acting Chairman. The development raised questions about the respect and obedience to the rule of law at the local government level.
The local government has therefore requested the Assembly to investigate and ensure that Abioun was sworn in as the Chairman, Otto Awori LCDA, in order to forestall any act of law breaking and order in the state.
Speaker Obasa, thereafter, directed the Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, to write a letter to the governor notifying him of the development.
Subsequently, the House invited Abioun, Council Manager, and legal officers to appear before the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
