• Gov’s action embarrassing, act of lawlessness, PDP, Ajayi say
• ‘Aiyedatiwa replacing illegality with illegality’
• Edema hails council autonomy judgment
• Knocks gov for transition committees
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has constituted caretaker committees for the 18 local councils of the state, as well as the newly created 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
The caretaker committees were constituted following the postponement of the council election by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) amid the nullification of the creation of the LCDAs by an Ondo State High Court, which described their establishment by the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as illegal.
It would be recalled that the state government had hinted that the judgment would be appealed, adding that the controversy over the delineations of the LCDAs would also be looked into.
According to the governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the committees will take over the affairs of the councils pending the when election will be held.
Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State chapter, and its standard-bearer for the governorship election in the state, Agboola Ajayi, have berated Aiyedatiwa over the development.
Ajayi, while describing the move by the governor as an act of lawlessness, urged him to desist from embarrassing the state.
Also, an Ondo State-based lawyer and human rights activist, Tope Temokun, in a statement made available to The Guardian, has described the appointment of transition committees as illegal and stated that it was a direct attack on the people.
HOWEVER, the candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in the state, Gbenga Edema, has lauded the Supreme Court judgment that granted autonomy to the 774 local councils in the country.
Edema said that the autonomy would pave the way for comprehensive development and progress at the grassroots level.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to send amendments to the National Assembly to correct the lapses created by the Supreme Court judgment and ensure that councils work for the benefit of the citizens.
He, however, urged those who will head the councils to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the council affairs.
Besides, the NNPP governorship candidate has berated Aiyedatiwa for constituting transition committees for the councils.
According to Edema, the governor goofed in the constitution of the committees despite a court judgment that nullified the creation of the LCDAs.
