An Ondo State High Court in Akure has declared the creation of 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) by the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as unconstitutional and illegal.

Presiding judge, Justice A.O. Adebusuoye, ruled that the LCDAs were not lawfully established. Akeredolu had signed the bill creating the LCDAs into law in September 2023, following its passage by the state House of Assembly.

The LCDAs were intended to coexist with the 18 existing Local Government Areas (LGAs), bringing the total number of administrative regions to 51.

Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), served as the governor of Ondo from February 24, 2017, until his death on December 27, 2023. His deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was immediately sworn in as governor.