Court stops Akeredolu from inaugurating LG Chairmen

The Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure, has issued an interim injunction restraining Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu from inaugurating newly appointed members of the interim management committee for the 18 local government areas and the 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

…..The appointed Interim Management Committee for the council and the LCDAs had received clearance from the Ondo State House of Assembly.

The court order came in response to a filing by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which sought to prevent the defendants, including Governor Akeredolu, the Speaker of the Ondo Assembly, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, from inaugurating any person not democratically elected as a member of caretaker committees to administer the affairs of the local councils and the LCDA.

,,,,,,Justice Yemi Fasanmi granted the order, stating, “The application defendants/respondents are hereby restrained from inaugurating any person or persons not democratically elected as members of caretaker committees to administer the affairs of local government councils and Local Council Development Areas in Ondo state pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction in this suit.”

The development adds a layer of complexity to the political landscape in Ondo State, as the PDP challenges the legitimacy of the appointed committee members.

Meanwhile, the State Executive Council meeting, presided over by Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, took place on Thursday.

Eighteen commissioners attended the meeting, the first in three months.

Recall that notably, Governor Akeredolu, who has been out of the state for nearly six months, remains absent from the proceedings. His extended absence has raised concerns about a potential governance vacuum, and critics argue that his continued stay in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, instead of Akure, further exacerbates the situation.

The rift between Governor Akeredolu and Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa continues, with ongoing legal disputes and reported cracks within the state executive council. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intervened in a bid to reconcile the feuding leaders, but the effectiveness of these efforts remains uncertain.