Court Declares 33 Ondo LCDAs Created By Late Akeredolu As Illegal

The creation of the 33 Local Government Development Areas (LCDAs) by the Ondo State government has been declared unconstitutional and illegal by an Akure High Court in Ondo state.

Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye, in his verdict, described the LCDAS signed into law by late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as inchoate and not lawfully created.

Recall that the leaders of four Akoko local governments including Akoko Southeast, Akoko Southwest, Akoko Northwest, and Akoko Northeast through their lawyer, Mr. Tolu Babaleye, had dragged the state government to court alleging marginalisation in the creation of the LCDA by Akeredolu’s government.

While ruling, Justice Adebusoye agreed with the suit of the Akoko Leaders and held that the creation of the LCDAS did not comply with sections 7 and 8 of the 1999 constitution and that there was no equitable distribution of the council areas among the existing local governments.

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Meanwhile, the leaders under the auspices of registered trustees of Akoko Development Initiative (ADI) who filed the suit on behalf of themselves and the people of Akoko land, have hailed the decision of the court to nullify the creation of the LCDAs.

The leaders in a statement signed by the claimants in the suit including former Speaker of State House of Assembly, Hon. Bakitta Bello, Matthew Ofosile, and Lawal Rogbitan said the judgment of the court represented the true position of law and the aspiration of the people of the four local governments of Akoko.

They said that they noticed the lopsidedness in the recommendation from the Executive Council to the State House of Assembly for the creation of the 33 LCDAs, in July 2023, and made representation to the Government in letters addressed to the Governor and the Attorney General to correct the injustice meted to individual Local Government Areas and the entire Akoko Land.