Aiyedatiwa Draws Fire From PDP, Activist For LCDAs And LGs Transition-Committee

Aiyedatiwa Draws Fire From PDP, Activist For LCDAs And LGs Transition-Committee

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has condemned the setting up of Transition Committees for the nullified 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and 18 Local Government Areas by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Aiyedatiwa, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniran, said the transition committees were to oversee the affairs of the LGs and LCDAs in the State until the conduct of local government election.

Aiyedatiwa said his administration was examining concerns raised by some communities over the delineations carried out during the creation of the LCDAs with a view to making the necessary amendments.

But the Ondo PDP said Governor Aiyedatiwa disrespected the judgment of an Ondo High Court which nullified the creation of the 33 LCDAs.

“Therefore, it is the height of lawlessness and impunity for Aiyedatiwa to appoint Committees for LCDAs that are non-existent in the eyes of the law.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State Chapter wishes to advise the Governor to respect the laws of the land and stop embarrassing the people of the state with his actions that make us laughing stock in the comity of civilised people,” the statement reads.

A lawyer and human rights activist, Tope Temokun, said any other body, committee constituted to oversee the affairs of the local governments, other than democratically elected body was a nullity.

He said the actions of Aiyedatiwa conflicted with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Temokun, in a statement, said the setting up of a caretaker committee in disguise has been ‘notoriously condemned and rejected by the people and the court across state boundaries.’

He said the system of Local Government by democratically elected Local Government Councils was what the constitution recognised and guaranteed.

According to the statement, “Governor Aiyedatiwa owes the people many explanations on this new path of deliberate illegality he has chosen to toe and should address the people why he is building the new foundation of Ondo State government on a notorious illegality.

“He should tell the people if he had demanded explanations from the State Independent Electoral Commissions, ODIEC, why it is postponing elections into the local councils and he should tell us the answers he got. He should explain to the people of Ondo state if ODIECs postponement of election is not a charade, a scam and an arrangement to create a justification for this aberration.

“This is uncreative, very uncreative. Why resorting to a stale trick to govern people who are already wise?”

Hon Justice A.O Adebusuoye, had last month, ruled that the 33 LCDAs created by late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was inchoate and unlawfully created.

The Court held that the Local Government Creation Law 2023 was unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.