The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has vowed to mobilise members against the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the 2023 polls if its governors do not stop opposing autonomy for the councils.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, NULGE National President, Olatunji Ambali, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to call all APC governors, especially Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and his Kebbi and Plateau counterparts, Atiku Bagudu and Simon Lalong, to order.

He accused Fayemi of leading the charge against the move to strengthen and deepen good governance at the grassroots.

Ambali also cautioned Lalong against standing in the way of local government autonomy or risks the wrath of workers, who he threatened, would vote against APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in next year’s general elections.

“NULGE, in collaboration with NLC, has directed all our members across the country to be on the look out. We will not support any party that moves against local government autonomy. We have directed them to keep their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote out all anti-people leaders, who are hell bent on destroying the local governments,” he stated.

Ambali wondered why the trio, who are leaving office soon, should be the ones leading the fight against local government autonomy.

He disclosed that till date, only 12 states have attended to the autonomy bill.

Of the 12 states, the NULGE boss said 10 have passed the piece of legislation, while two voted against its passage.

He, however, commended the state lawmakers that “chose to stand by the Nigerian peopl.”

The states that have passed the bill, according to him, are Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Osun, Edo, Delta, Kogi and Katsina, while Ekiti and Lagos voted against the proposed law. (The Guardian)

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