Judicial Verdict: Akeredolu’s 33 Ondo LCDAs Declared Illegal

The creation of the 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) by the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has been deemed unconstitutional and illegal by the Ondo State High Court in Akure.

The presiding judge, Justice A.O Adebusuoye, stated that the LCDAs were not lawfully established. In September 2023, Akeredolu signed the bill into law after it was passed by the state House of Assembly members.

These newly formed LCDAs coexist with the existing 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs), resulting in a total of 51.

Akeredolu, who served as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and ex-Attorney General of Ondo State, governed the state from February 24, 2017, until his unfortunate demise on December 27, 2023. Following his passing, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his deputy, was promptly sworn in as the new governor.