An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure on Monday the 18th December 2023 adjourned for hearing a suit filed by the Akoko Development Initiative and 22 other indigenes of Akokoland challenging the legality of the 33 Local Councils Development Areas (LCDAs) recently created by the Ondo State Government.
The Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, had on the 9th September, 2023, signed into law the Creation of Local Government Areas Bill of 2023, which purportedly created the LCDAs.
In the Originating Summons filed by the Claimants before the High Court of Ondo State on the 17th November 2023, the Claimants are praying the Honourable Court to determine among other questions, whether the creation of the 33 LCDAs complied with the mandatory procedure stipulated in sections 7 and 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 As Amended.
The Claimants are praying the Court for several reliefs including the dissolution of the 33 LCDAs in the event that the Honourable Court finds that the Defendants failed to comply with the provisions of the Constitution in the process of creating the purported LCDAs.
The Claimants also filed a Motion for Interlocutory Injunction, praying the Court to restrain the Defendants from giving effect to the purported LCDAs pending when the main case would be disposed off.
At the proceedings on Monday the 18th December 2023, Counsel to the Claimants- Vincent Adodo leading Joshua Sebiotimo and Alaba Peter Ojo moved the Motion for Interlocutory Injunction. The Honourable Court, however, in its wisdom, deemed it proper that the suit be given accelerated hearing.
Consequently, the Honourable Court adjourned the matter to the 17th day of January 2024 for hearing.
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