A former Chairman of Okitipupa local government in Ondo, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, has lashed the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa over his lackadaisical position leading to the nullification of the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) but the State High Court.

Adesanya who is a Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Senate President who stated this in a statement, said Aiyedatiwa should be blamed for the nullification of the LCDAs created by former late governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

According to him, Aiyedatiwa’s tacit support for nullifying the newly created 33 LCDAs responsible for the scrapping of the councils, saying posterity would not be kind to Aiyedatiwa if the government failed to appeal the judgment.

The Pioneer State Publicity Secretary of Ondo APC maintains that the nullification of the LCDAs is a minus to Ayedatiwa’s government and might affect the party’s fortune in future elections.

Adesanya said; “Since 1999, successive governments of Governor Adebayo Adefarati, Governor Olusegun Agagu, and Governor Olusegun Abayomi Mimiko have tried to bring government closer to the grassroots through creation of more Local Council Development Areas, but to no avail, for lack of political will.

“Whereas, a young state like Ekiti, created in 1996, not as rich as Ondo, during Governor Kayode Fayemi, created more LCDAs out of the existing 16 Local Government Areas. Similarly, Osun State also created more Local Council Development Areas during Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s tenure.

“Hence, a dogged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who fought many battles within the APC-led Federal Government, like the establishment of ‘Amotekun Security Network’ to curtail the invasion of killer herdsmen killing our people everyday; He led the first ever Southern Governors’ Forum to demand the Southern President in the 2023 general elections, that produced President Bola Tinubu, among other reforms within the APC and APC-led government.

“After 24 years of failed attempts by previous governments, Akeredolu had the Political Will, in conjunction with the State House of Assembly, to create 33 LCDAs to bring governance closer to the people.

“Rather than commending him (Akeredolu) and fortifying the LCDAs with relevant laws and amendments, I don’t want to believe Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa surreptitiously allowed the 33 LCDAs to slip off the people of Ondo State, because posterity will not forgive him.

He however, advised Aiyedatiwa not to fold his arms by not appealing the judgment and said “I, therefore, advise Governor Aiyedatiwa, to appeal the decision of the State High Court nullifying the creation of the 33 LCDA.

“He should strive to bring it back to life and to avoid being accused of destroying all the legacies of his boss, Akeredolu, as various communities have also spent so much to build Secretariats for the new LCDAs”.