37 Lagos LCDAs: Why Tinubu must champion Constitutional recognition – Opadokun

By Adekunle Williams

Pa Ayo Opadokun, a prominent chieftain of Afenifere, has called on President Bola Tinubu to advocate for the constitutional recognition of the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, Opadokun, who also serves as the Secretary-General of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), emphasized that the LCDAs should be acknowledged as full-fledged Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The LCDAs were established in 2003 during Tinubu’s tenure as governor but have yet to receive constitutional recognition. The LCDAs include Agbado/Oke-Odo, Agboyi/Ketu, Orile-Agege, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Egbeda-Akowonjo, Apapa-Iganmu, Ayobo/Ipaja, Badagry West, Coker/Aguda, and Egbe/Idimu, among others.

Despite Lagos being home to an estimated population of about 23 million, the state currently has only 20 LGAs.

Opadokun stated that granting the LCDAs full LGAs status would help bring governance closer to the people of the state.

He urged the president to engage the National Assembly in efforts to constitutionalize the LCDAs, asserting that such recognition would instill a sense of belonging among residents.

According to Opadokun, “What I believe that the incumbent president should do is to ensure that the 37 LCDAs have constitutional backing. Tinubu should make sure the local development areas, which former President Olusegun Obasanjo described as inchoate, are included in the constitution.

“The president should act on that and convince the National Assembly to make moves to ensure they have recognition. Once those 37 LCDAs become full-fledged local governments, the government will come directly to the grassroots, and the grassroots will have a sense of belonging,” he said.