Not less than seven months after floating a parallel association, a splinter group of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) under the auspices of Interim Management Committee (IMC) has pledged loyalty to the Hon. Alabi Kolade David-led association, pledging that “all cases in court and petitions before the security agencies” instituted for and against ALGON leadership be withdrawn immediately.

This was disclosed in a resolution signed by all the seven members of the factional group. The IMC members who returned to ALGON include Hon. Ige Ropo Emmanuel, Hon. Adeagbo Adeniyi, Hon. Dangiye Ubarugu, Hon. Emeka Ogelle, Hon. Idi Aminu, Hon. Wasiu Owolabi and Hon. Yinka Dallas Ayeni.

They maintained that “going forward, we pledge our loyalty to the spirit and letter of our constitution and we hereby call on all members of the general Assembly of ALGON to join hands with the current NEC to move ALGON in the right direction and we equally solicit for the utmost support and cooperation of all ALGON stakeholders and the general public as ALGON proceeds on the path of peace and unity.”

With the collapse of its parallel structure, the dissident group has now pledged total loyalty to Hon. Alabi-led leadership of the Association.

The Interim Management Committee (IMC), which broke away from the association on May 30, 2020, explained that they were earlier misled and have now come to the realization of the truth.

The now defunct IMC comprising the signatories to the resolution are council chairmen met in Abuja on December 10, 2020 and resolved: “that there is overall need for peace in the due administration of our noble Association under the leadership of Hon. Kolade David Alabi.

“That all cases in court and petitions before the security agencies instituted for and against be withdrawn forthwith.

‘That all grievances expressed by members be channeled to the Hon. Kolade David Alabi-led National Executive Committee and finally “that the current leadership summons an emergency meeting of the General Assembly to further unify our Association.”

Recalling their short-lived journey, they said the IMC was “set up by some honourable chairmen of local government councils from across the nation on 30th of May, 2020 owing to some misgivings, misunderstanding and misinformation and misrepresentations in the affairs of our national office.

“However, it is commonly said that time heals wounds; the events that ensued after have subsequently led members to rethink and rescind their actions and return to the fold.

“Firstly, the erstwhile chairman of the IMC, Hon Abdullahi Maje took a detour from the mandate of the IMC and eventually voluntarily resigned from that position based on the directive of His Excellency, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, Governor of Niger State.

“Secondly, members received clarifications on the erroneous reservations hitherto held against the leadership of our noble Association on the issues of finance and the articles of our constitution and more importantly, members realized that some of the allegations bandied were figments of the imagination of a former staff who has constituted himself into distraction for selfish purposes.

“Also, in the light of the fundamental fact that the lifespan of the IMC expired by effluxion of time on the 30th November 2020 without renewal, we have now come to the following just and inevitable resolutions”, to return to the ALGON mainstream led by Hon. Alabi and to pledge unalloyed support and loyalty to his leadership.