The people of Akoko under the umbrella of the Akoko Development Initiative (ADI) have called on Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to immediately halt the continued operation of the 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) earlier nullified by the court, urging the government to begin a lawful and inclusive process for fresh creation of new councils.
The ADI — comprising the Akoko Development Group (ADG), Akoko Consultative Forum (ACF), and Oka Community — made the demand in an open statement jointly signed by Chief Ibukun Rogbitan, Chairman of the ACF, and Fola Amure, Secretary of ADI.
They accused the state government of deliberately disobeying a subsisting judgment of the Ondo State High Court delivered by Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye on June 20, 2024, which declared the creation of the 33 LCDAs unconstitutional, null and void for violating Sections 7 and 8 of the 1999 Constitution.
The court had also ordered the dissolution of the councils and restrained the state government from taking further actions on them.
“Government Acting in Defiance of Court Order”
According to the statement, despite the court’s clear directives, the state government has continued to operate the dissolved LCDAs, appoint personnel and spend public funds on them, describing such actions as illegal and unconstitutional.
They warned that “all the funds expended on the running of the LCDAs since their nullification are nugatory, illegal and not backed by law.”
The Akoko leaders recalled that prominent elders from the area — including former Deputy Governor Alhaji Ali Olanusi and Basorun Seinde Arogbofa — had earlier met with the governor, who reportedly promised to redress the imbalance, but no action had been taken months after.
‘Appeal Notice a Delay Tactic’
While acknowledging that the government had filed a notice of appeal, the group described it as a gimmick to delay justice, alleging that the government had failed to take any concrete legal steps to advance the case.
They also faulted the governor for allegedly presenting the dissolved LCDAs to the National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendment during a recent visit, describing the move as “a deliberate affront on the people of Akoko and on the judiciary.”
Eight New LCDAs Proposed for Akoko Zone
Calling for fairness and balance in local administration, the group proposed that at least eight new LCDAs should be created from the four existing Akoko Local Governments — Akoko North-East, Akoko North-West, Akoko South-East, and Akoko South-West.
They urged the governor to set up a new committee that would engage citizens across all 18 LGAs in the state to ensure a transparent and lawful creation process.
The statement emphasized that the Akoko people had remained peaceful throughout the disagreement and appealed to the governor to act in the spirit of justice and equity.
“The judgment, if implemented, would ensure justice, peace and development in Ondo State. We appeal to the Governor to graciously review the situation and initiate a fair redistribution of the LCDAs,” the statement read.
The group further appealed to “well-meaning citizens of Ondo State and the general public to prevail on the governor to implement these recommendations,” describing them as the minimum requirement for peace and development under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Aiyedatiwa’s Our Ease Vision.
