By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Comrade Olayiwola Sulyman, popularly known as Opomulero, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the approved list of 17 Executive Committee (EXCO) members for the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State.
READ MORE:Lagos Govt Warns Council Chairmen Against Altering Approved EXCO Lists
Speaking in an exclusive interview with KosofePost on Wednesday, Opomulero argued that state governors in Nigeria do not possess constitutional powers to appoint executive members for local governments.
According to him, the position of the law is clearly stated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees the autonomy of local government administration.
He cited Section 7(1) of the Constitution, which provides that:
“The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is guaranteed.”
Opomulero explained that the implication of this provision is that local governments must be administered by officials elected by the people, rather than individuals appointed by state authorities.
“In a properly functioning local government system, the executive members should emerge from the structure of the elected council,” he said.
He noted that the local government executive typically includes the elected chairman, the vice chairman, who is usually elected alongside the chairman, and supervisory councillors or secretaries appointed by the elected chairman to oversee specific portfolios.
According to him, such appointments should be made within the local government structure, rather than by the governor or individuals acting on behalf of the state government.
“The governor or his cronies are not supposed to appoint them. Doing so amounts to executive rascality,” he said.
Opomulero’s comments come amid growing public debate over the composition of EXCO lists across local councils in Lagos State, with allegations that some nominees were screened by legislative councils while others were excluded from the process.
The development has continued to generate reactions from political stakeholders and residents, raising broader questions about local government autonomy and the constitutional boundaries between state and local authorities.
Further developments are expected as discussions around the issue continue.