News Investigators/ The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP), Gubernatorial candidate in the November 2024 election in Ondo state, Agboola Ajayi, has blamed the recent court ruling, against Local Council Development Areas, (LCDA) in the state, on the failure of the Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to provide viable leadership.
Mr. Ajayi, a former deputy governor, absorbed the judiciary of any blame noting that it acted based on a matter presented to it.
The PDP gubernatorial candidate spoke on Monday in Akure, the state capital while clarifying issues raised on his earlier comment on the court ruling, which he said the opposition tried unsuccessfully to misinterpret.
Explaining his reaction in its original context, Mr. Ajayi said “the court has no blame to share in the unfortunate rulling against the LCDAs, as it only adjudicated on a case brought before it”
The PDP candidate submitted however, that every blame regarding the issue should be heaped on the state Mr. Ayedatiwa, who he accused of failure to provide leadership when it was needed.
According to Mr. Ajayi, a responsive leadership with no ulterior motive, would have resolved issues around the LCDA creation before it gets to the court.
“I am putting the whole blame regarding this LCDA issue on Gov Lucky Ayedatiwa. He has no excuse whatsoever to allow the case to get to the court because, whichever way we want to look at it, when he assumed office as acting governor and later a substantive Governor , he automatically becomes the custodian of both the assets and liabilities of the government.
“In other words, whatever it was that may have caused issues regarding the LCDA creation should have been administratively handled by him without a recourse to the court. I want to sincerely believe that those who took the matter to court, would have written one or two petitions to government, stating thier grievances, but proceeded to court when the leadership failed them”
Also as an authourity in local government matters, Ajayi said “I understand local government administration as the closest to the people.
“There are tendencies, we know all that but we can’t throw the baby away with the bath water” Mr. Ajayi maintained.
Insisting that the governor should be held responsible for whatever lapses the court ruling may have caused Local Goverment administration in the state, Mr. Ajayi said ” I blame the government for the inability to live up to it’s leadership role in the state most especially, as it affects the hues and cries over the LCDA creation .
“Lucky Ayedatiwa was an acting governor at the time the issue started , he should have resolved the issues before it went to court. I dont blame the court for it’s judgement but Aiyedatiwa for not tackling the issue from the beginning.
Further lamenting the sour condition of the state under the present leadership , Ajayi said ” if I am the governor,
I would put up a better arrangement that would make the people happy than what is on ground today
“Governance is more than blowing siren up and down without having the gut for proper governance of the state”.he added.
