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An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has nullified the 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) created by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in September 2023, describing it as illegal and unlawful.
Recall that Akeredolu signed the law creating the 33 LCDAs to expand the council areas in Ondo State from 18 to 51.
In a judgment delivered, Justice A.O. Adebusuoye 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.”
The Akoko Development Initiative and 22 others challenged the creation of the 33 LCDAs by the late governor in court.
The plaintiffs said they filed the suit on behalf of themselves and the people of Akokoland.
Following the creation of the 33 LCDAs in September 2023, the late Governor Akeredolu had selected 33 caretaker chairmen to man them and sent the names to the state Assembly for screening and approval.
The Assembly approved the caretaker chairmen but the court stopped their inauguration.
On Thursday, the plaintiffs hailed the judgment of the court scrapping the 33 LCDAs.
In a statement on Friday, the Coordinator of Akoko Development Initiative, Bakita Bello, extolled the court for “safeguarding the aspirations of the Akoko people and other ethnic groups in Ondo State to coexist with one another in a peaceful environment conducive for even and sustainable development in our political, social, religious and economic life. “
Bello said, “We do not take for granted that justice will come to us on a silver platter. We are, therefore resolute and determined to always fight for it, no matter the obstacles that may come and the quarters from which they may emerge.
“It is our hope that the outcome of this process will serve as a guide to the government and the people of our state in the handling of our public affairs in the future, beginning from now."
