…..Warn against funding nullified LCDAs, advise Governor to commence new process.
The Akoko Development Initiative is a body of Associations comprising the Akoko Development Group (ADG), the Akoko Consultative Forum (ACF), and the Oka Community, representing the interest of the people of Akoko in the Four Local Government Areas, have called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to obey and enforce the judgement of Ondo State High Court that voided the ondo state law for the creation of thirty three local council development authorities (LCDAs).
In an open message to the Governor, Barr. Fola Amure, Secretary ADI and Chief Ibukun Rogbitan, Chairman ACF who spoke on behalf of the entire Akoko Citizens in the Four Local Government Areas of Akoko North East, North West, South East and South West, advising Governor Aiyedatiwa to stop funding the LCDAS that are now illegal entities.
Below is the full text of the press statement;
OPEN STATEMENT ON THE FAILURE TO OBEY THE JUDGEMENT OF ONDO STATE HIGH COURT ON SUIT NO: AK/395/2023 THAT VOIDED THE ONDO STATE LAW FOR THE CREATION OF THIRTY THREE LOCAL COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES (LCDAs)
REPRESENTATION
- The Akoko Development Initiative is a body of Associations comprising the Akoko Development Group (ADG), the Akoko Consultative Forum (ACF), and the Oka Community. The body represents the interest of the people of Akoko in the Four Local Government Areas of Akoko North East, North West, South East and South West.
- Prior to the passage into Law, of the Bill to provide for the Creation of 33 Local Council Development Areas in July 2023, the people of Akoko approached the Ondo State House of Assembly with letters and documents to request for the adjustment of grave flaws in the Bill and the lopsidedness in the distribution of the LCDAs across Ondo State, which was decidedly skewed against the interest of Akoko-Land.
The House of Assembly went ahead to pass the Bill into Law without correcting the flaws therein. The Bill was signed into Law on the 9th of September, 2023 by the late Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN. We went to court to challenge the action of the Government.
- The judgment of the Ondo State High Court, delivered by Hon. Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye on the 20th day of June 2024, painstakingly considered our pleas and made declarations in our favor which includes the following:
a. That the creation of Local Government Areas Law, 2023 purportedly creating 33 LCDAs across the 18 Local Government Areas in Ondo State, signed into Law on 9th September 2023 was not valid in Law;
b. The same Law was not valid in the absence of the approval of the result of a referendum which ought to have been conducted by the defendants but was not conducted;
c. That in creating or purporting to create Local Government Council Development Areas in Ondo State, the defendants were bound to comply with the procedure mandatorily stipulated in Section 8(3) (a),
(b), (c) and (d) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended);
d. That by virtue of the provision of Section 176 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), the Assent of the Governor to the Law at Ibadan which was outside Ondo State, was out of order and invalid in Law;
e. That the Creation of Local Government Law, 2023 which purportedly created 33 LCDAs from the existing 18 Local Government Areas in Ondo State, having been enacted in violation of the mandatory procedure for the creation of Local Government Areas stipulated in Sections 7 and 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) was unconstitutional, invalid, null, void, and of no consequence whatsoever;
f. The Honorable Court proceeded to grant AN ORDER setting aside all actions, processes and steps, whether administrative or legislative taken by the defendants in purporting to create the new 33 Local Council Development Areas out of the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo State, including the passage by the 3rd Defendant (Ondo State House of Assembly) of the Law for the creation of New Local Government Council Development Areas in Ondo State for non-compliance with the mandatory procedure stipulated for the creation of Local Government Council Areas under Section 8(3) (a) (b) (c) and (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
g. The Honorable Court also granted an Order to dissolve the newly created 33 Local Government Council Areas in Ondo State as they were not created in full compliance with Sections 7 and 8 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended), thereby making it to be null and void and of no effect whatsoever;
h. The Court granted an order to strike down the creation of the Local Government Areas Law, 2023 for being unconstitutional and consequently null and void;
i. The Hon. Court finally granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from acting upon or in any manner giving effect or seeking to give effect to the Ondo State Local Government Council Development Areas Laws, 2023, passed by the Ondo State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor of Ondo State in the manner and form in which it was presently constituted.
- On Tuesday 23rd July 2024, prominent Leaders led by HE, Alhaji Alli Olanusi and Basorun Seinde Arogbofa paid a visit to the Governor of Ondo State HE, Hon Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa where he promised to attend to and resolve the grievances of Akoko Land as captured by the Judgment of the High Court. However in spite of the pledge of the Governor during the visit and letter of reminder, dated 20th August 2025 to His Excellency, the Governor, no positive steps have been taken to right the obvious wrongs.
Sadly, the LCDAs continue to operate, in clear disobedience to the judgement of the court.
- The Governor has taken some provocative actions that are of great concern and worry to us at Akoko Land. The Court made a judgment that was declarative and all reliefs granted therein were clear, straightforward and objective. The judgment, if implemented would ensure justice, peace and development in Ondo State, but we do not understand the reluctance of the Governor at obeying it. In spite of the promise by the Governor to initiate actions to redress the lopsidedness in the injustice, all the actions from the government have served to delay the progress of the State while sustaining the illegality of working against the decisions of a court of competent jurisdiction in this matter.
a. It is illegal to keep on sustaining the LCDA Law, 2023 which was abrogated by the judgment of the Court.
b. It is an illegality for the Government of Ondo State under the leadership of Hon. Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to appoint and retain personnel into the structures of the 33 LCDAs, which were dissolved by the judgment.
c. All the funds which had been expended on the running of the LCDAs since they were defiantly set up are nugatory, illegal and not backed by Law. The act of expending the money is illegal, unconstitutional and a direct affront to the rule of Law.
d. Akoko people in the four Local Government Areas in the North Senatorial District of Ondo State have not at any point throughout the disagreement embarked on any form of Violence to seek redress. Meetings were held with the Governor to State our position and demands. In the last couple of weeks, the Akoko Development Initiative, on behalf of the Obas, Leaders and the entire people of Akoko Land, forwarded a letter to the Governor, precisely on Wednesday, 20th August, 2025 and visited the Hon Attorney Gene and Commissioner for Justice to remind them to actualize the pledge by the Governor to correct the imbalance by obeying the judgment of the High Court of Ondo State.
e. We acknowledge the fact that the Government has filed a notice of appeal which we considered as a gimmick to create unwarranted delay as the counsel to the Government has filed no processes to enable our lawyers reply in court. We have refused to consider this action as deliberate sabotage.
f. However, the action of the Governor to present sent the dissolved LCDAS to the visiting Committee of the National Assembly on Constitution amendment, to Ondo State, for recognition left a bitter taste in the mouth of the people because there is no justifiable reason for the Governor to hold Akoko Land and its people in distaste. In addition to the peaceful manner we have conducted our grievances, the result of the gubernatorial elections of November 2024 revealed the massive support of the Akoko people for the Governor; hence this seemingly deliberate assault on our peaceful mien is frustrating and beyond understanding. We appeal to the Governor to graciously review the situation in the spirit of peaceful co-existence to set the ball rolling to adjust the vexatious distribution of the LCDAs
g. A fresh directive by the Governor should raise a committee to obtain the inputs and interest of the people of the state to create an equitable number of LCDAs across the eighteen Local Government Areas of Ondo State. in order to ensure equity and justice for the four Local Government Areas of Akoko in the North Senatorial District of Ondo State, a minimum of eight LCDAs should be created from the four Local Government Areas of Akoko North East, Akoko North West, Akoko South East, and Akoko South West. The list of the proposed LCDAs is attached herewith as Annexe A. Equally for ease of reference a copy of the High Court judgment on the matter is herewith attached as Annexe B.
- We are convinced that a dispassionate consideration and implementation of our request at 5(g) above will effectively douse the tension and ensure an amicable resolution of the needless empasse on the creation of LCDAs to ensure rapid and even development of the urban and rural communities of Ondo State under the RENEWED HOPE AGENDA of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the OUR EASE AGENDA of the Governor of Ondo State, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
- We invite well meaning members of the Sunshine State and the general public to prevail on the Governor to accept the foregoing recommendations for implementation. They are the minimum requirements for ensuring a peaceful atmosphere for development in the State.
Signed by:
Fola Amure, Secretary ADI and Chief Ibukun Rogbitan, Chairman ACF, spoke on behalf of the entire Akoko Citizens
