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Aiyedatiwa Summons LG Chairmen to Deny ₦5m Allocation, Critics Slam Hypocrisy

Published by admin on September 5th, 2025.

Aiyedatiwa Summons LG Chairmen to Deny ₦5m Allocation, Critics Slam Hypocrisy

Local Government Chairmen in Ondo State have been reportedly summoned to Akure by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following Sahara Reporters’ revelation that each council receives barely ₦5 million monthly from the hundreds of millions allocated by the federation account. Multiple sources who spoke under condition of anonymity disclosed that the chairmen were brought in with the sole intention of compelling them to sign rebuttals that deny the report and affirm that the government has been transparent with council allocations.

One of the insiders described the move as a “command performance,” noting that many chairmen privately admit the Sahara Reporters figure is close to reality but lack the courage to speak openly. “They will be asked to toe the governor’s line or risk political consequences. It is about protecting an image that everyone knows is false,” the source said.

Critics have seized on the development to highlight what they describe as Aiyedatiwa’s political double standard. While publicly lobbying to lead President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Ondo State, the governor is accused of dismantling Tinubu’s loudest reform legacy, local government autonomy. Analysts argue that his actions expose a troubling hypocrisy, as he presents himself as a loyalist to the president while undercutting the very principles Tinubu has built political capital upon.

“This is not just control of funds, it is control of truth,” another political source remarked. “A governor cannot suppress council autonomy at home and then turn around to market Tinubu’s reforms to the people. That contradiction is glaring, and it makes his campaign posturing look confused at best and deceptive at worst.”

Observers believe the strategy of forcing denials will do little to change public perception, as grassroots realities tell a different story. With roads in disrepair, basic amenities lacking and councils starved of funds, many argue that the state government’s theatre of denials cannot mask the emptiness of an administration that appears more committed to spin than to service.