Following the declaration of the creation of the 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Ondo state as null and void by the High Court in the state, the state government said it would study the judgment accordingly.
The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olukayode Ajulo, who stated this in a statement signed by his media assistant, Dele Sadiq Jobi, said the government is law-abiding and will, as always maintain the rule of law.
Ajulo however, said the state government has requested the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment which will be studied before taking the next action.
The Attorney General said the state government would study the judgment accordingly.
The statement read: “The Honourable Attorney General of Ondo State, Dr Olukayode Ajulo, has taken cognizance of the Ondo State High Court’s recent judgment nullifying the creation of the 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
“In response, the Honourable Attorney General has promptly requested the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment.
‘Upon receipt, a meticulous study and analysis will be undertaken, culminating in a comprehensive legal opinion to the Government of Ondo State.
“Subsequently, all necessary measures, in accordance with our laws, will be taken to safeguard the interests of our citizens, foster peaceful coexistence, and uphold the rule of law.
“The Honourable Attorney General remains steadfast in his commitment to prioritizing the well-being and welfare of our citizens, working tirelessly to ensure that justice and the law are served.”
It will be recalled that an Ondo State High Court on Thursday declared the creation of the 33 LCDAs in the state as unconstitutional and illegal.
The Presiding Judge, Justice A.O Adebusuoye, said the LCDAs were not lawfully created and described the LCDAs created by the former later governor Rotimi Akeredolu, as inchoate and not lawfully created.
The leaders of the four local governments in Akokoland had approached the court to challenge the creation of the LCDAs in the area, alleging marginalisation of the area.
The leaders of the Akokoland which include, Akoko Southeast, Akoko Southwest, Akoko Northwest, and Akoko Northeast, through their lawyers, Mr Tolu Babaleye, dragged the state government to court challenging the marginalisation in the creation of the LCDAs.
However, Justice Adebusoye in his judgment held that the creation of the LCDAS did not comply with sections 7 and 8 of the 1999 constitution.
He also agreed with the leaders of the four local government areas that there was no equitable distribution of the council areas among the existing local governments in the state.
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