In a landmark judgment, an Ondo State High Court in Akure has declared the 33 Local Government Development Areas (LCDAs) created by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in September 2023 as illegal and unlawful. The court nullified the LCDAs, stating that the law creating them was signed in Ibadan, Oyo State, rather than in Ondo State, making it “unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.”
The late Governor Akeredolu had signed the law creating the 33 LCDAs to expand the council areas in Ondo State from 18 to 51, following the example of then Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu (now Nigeria’s President). However, the court’s judgment has put an end to the plan, citing the irregularity in the signing of the law.
The judgment was delivered in response to a lawsuit filed by the Akoko Development Initiative and 22 others, who challenged the creation of the 33 LCDAs on behalf of themselves and the people of Akokoland. The plaintiffs hailed the court’s decision, stating that it “safeguards the aspirations of the Akoko people and other ethnic groups in Ondo State to coexist in a peaceful environment conducive for even and sustainable development.”
The Coordinator of Akoko Development Initiative, Bakita Bello, expressed gratitude to the judiciary for upholding justice and urged the government and people of Ondo State to implement statutes for the good of all, without fear or favor, and to focus on fairness, equity, and justice to build an egalitarian society.