Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Aiyedatiwa, Ajayi in Blame Game Over Scrapping Of 33 LCDAs

POSTED ON June 25, 2024 •   Politics      BY Benedicta Bassey
Ondo state Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa/ Photo credit: Premiumtimes/ Source: X

A former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, and the camp of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa are playing the blame game over the court scrapping of 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) created by late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in September 2023.

Ajayi, while addressing journalists at his residence in Akure on Monday, said Governor Aiyedatiwa mishandled the issue by allowing the matter get to court.

Ajayi, who will be facing Aiyedatiwa on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, said he was more experienced in local government matters and would have handled the matter better than Aiyedatiwa did.

But in a swift response, the Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers Independent Council said the statement by Ajayi was an insult to Aiyedatiwa and the judiciary, saying he needed to apologise to both parties.

In a judgment last week, Justice A.O. Adebusuoye of the Ondo State High Court in Akure faulted the process by which Akeredolu created the 33 LCDAs.

The judge said the LG Creation Law 2023, which birthed the 33 LCDAs, stood nullified because Akeredolu signed the law in Ibadan, Oyo State, and not on the soil of Ondo State.

The judge declared that signing the law outside of Ondo State made it  “unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.”

Speaking with journalists at his residence in Akure on Monday, Ajayi, who served as deputy governor under the late Akeredolu, said Aiyedatiwa ought not to have allowed the matter get to court.

He said, “I still maintain what I said by blaming Governor Aiyedatiwa for the judgment and the aftermath of the creation of the LCDAs. Governance is a serious business. Once you inherit an asset from the government, you must also inherit the liability of whatever it is from that government.

"I appreciate and understand what the local government administration can do for the people in rural areas. So, we must take local government administration very seriously.

“The Akoko people have the right to protest that there was no equitable distribution in the creation of the LCDAs. These are normal, legitimate protests. But it is now the duty of the government to look into their grievances and complaints. The government should have intervened, reconciled, and addressed the injustice that people must have raised as regards the creation of LCDAs."

However, reacting, the Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers Independent Council lambasted Ajayi for attacking the governor.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Mr Kayode Fasua, the organisation said, “Agboola Ajayi, the PDP governorship candidate, should by now have been visited by a court bailiff for insulting the Nigerian judiciary.  His excuse that he accused the governor of being responsible for the judgment and not the high court judge is as illogical as it is utter jabbers, and above all, a lame excuse.

“Did Governor Aiyedatiwa institute the suit? Could the governor have stopped individuals and groups from exercising their right to approach the court to seek justice? 

“Assuredly, Governor Aiyedatiwa deserves apologies from him, while His Lordship, the judge who presided over the case, and the Nigerian judiciary are urged to ensure his prosecution for the defamatory statements, that someone influenced the judgment.”

READ ALSO
Tinubu advocates stronger security agency collaboration to combat crime
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 25, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has called for enhanced collaboration among the country's security agencies to...

READ ALSO
PDP in Turmoil: Governors plot to dissolve party for El-Rufai/Obi presidential ticket
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

Reports reaching Rocketparrot News suggest that five governors from the opposition People's Democrat...

READ ALSO
Aiyedatiwa pardon 43 inmates i to mark inauguration ceremony
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

ONDO, Nigeria - To commemorate his inauguration, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has granted...

READ ALSO
Deputy Speaker highlights progress in constitutional review process
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

Akwa Ibom, Nigeria (NAN) - The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has re...

READ ALSO
A Twist of Fate: Babangida discusses credibility of June 12 elections
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 21, 2025 0

The former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), has provided a defense for...

READ ALSO
Senate to hold public hearing on Tinubu's tax reform bills
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 20, 2025 0

The Senate is set to commence a two-day public hearing concerning the four tax reform bills proposed...

READ ALSO
Tinubu  shows commitment to environmental protection
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 19, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has committed to intensifying his efforts in protecting the environment and pr...

READ ALSO
Lagos assembly members applaud LIRS's commitment to transparent Tax administration
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 19, 2025 0

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have praised the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (...

OUR CHANNELS:

Aiyedatiwa pardon 43 inmates i to mark inauguration ceremony
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

ONDO, Nigeria - To commemorate his inauguration, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has granted...


Tragic accident on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway claims Nine lives, injures three
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 25, 2025 0

At least nine individuals have been confirmed deceased, while three others suffered various injuries...


SERAP takes legal action against CBN over unjust ATM fee hike
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 25, 2025 0

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has initiated legal action against the...


Major Drug Bust: NDLEA intercepts 46.60 kg of canadian loud at Lagos Airport
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

Agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have disrupted an attempt by a Thai natio...


FG unveils 'Skill-Up S-East' initiative to enhance fashion and Health
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 25, 2025 0

ABAKALIKIA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement fo...


Ogun secures $2.5bn livestock investment from Brazilian giant JBS
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

Ogun State is poised to benefit from a $2.5 billion investment in livestock production from JBS, a c...


Telecom firms warn of shutdown due to fuel tanker drivers’ strike
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

The telecommunications companies in Nigeria have issued a warning of potential shutdowns if prompt a...


Civil servants demand immediate reduction in PAYE Tax amid economic strain
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

Numerous federal government employees have voiced their apprehensions regarding the substantial inco...


Deputy Speaker highlights progress in constitutional review process
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

Akwa Ibom, Nigeria (NAN) - The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has re...


FG to abolish Visa-on-Arrival Policy, citing ineffectiveness
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara February 24, 2025 0

The federal government has revealed its intentions to abolish the Visa-on-Arrival policy, emphasizin...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu