Ekiti communities resolve to boycott elections over choice of LCDA headquarters

Seven communities aggrieved over the location of the newly-created headquarters of Ikole-West local council development area (LCDA) in Ijesa-Isu-Ekiti, say they will not participate in any election.

The state house of assembly had passed the bill seeking to create 19 new LGAs, after which Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti, signed the bill into law on August 6.

Prior to the signing of the bill, the state had said the proposed LGAs are undeveloped, and will, for the time being, operate as LCDAs.

However, seven communities had disagreed with the state government on the choice of Ijesa-Isu-Ekiti as the headquarters of Ikole West LCDA.

In a meeting on September 9, representatives of the communities expressed their dissatisfaction on the headquarters’ location, and it was agreed that a date would be fixed for the communities to meet with the governor for final resolution of the matter.

However, on Sunday, the communities, led by their respective traditional rulers, converged on the ancestral Oreniwa market square in Isaba-Ekiti to protest over the choice of the LCDA headquarters.

Prayers were also held at the market, as the communities sought divine intervention to redirect officials involved in the location of the council’s headquarters in “an unacceptable place”.

Speaking on behalf of other traditional rulers, Adedeji Fagbamila, the Olotunja of Ootunja-Ekiti, said the seven communities had resolved that their indigenes would not accept political appointments at the LCDA.

“We have also all resolved not to participate in any election, and henceforth, stop paying our taxes until our rights are restored. Any of our indigenes that accept political appointment will be disowned,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“We are engaging in our rightful agitations, because it is our future that is at stake and our inalienable right to self-determination.

“I want to assure you all that our amiable governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has no hand in this purported location of the council secretariat at Ijesa-Isu-Ekiti. We are sure that he will right the wrong.”

He appealed to the state government to relocate the headquarters to Usin-Ekiti, where the seven communities had initially agreed that it should be sited.