The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have engaged in a war of words over allegations of diversion of federal allocations meant for local government areas.

Over the weekend, the SDP accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration of withholding funds meant to drive development at the grassroots.

In a statement issued in Akure, the state chairman of the SDP, Gbenga Akinbuli, described the alleged diversion as a gross violation of fiscal federalism, local government autonomy, and democratic principles.

Akinbuli condemned the alleged act as “unconscionable,” stressing that it deprives local communities of essential services and infrastructure, thereby worsening underdevelopment.

He added that the situation not only hampers the efficiency of local government administrations but also erodes public trust in governance.

“We condemn this practice in the strongest possible terms and demand that the state government ceases this unlawful collection of local government funds. It is imperative that the state government prioritizes transparency and accountability in the management of local government funds and ensures that allocations are released to their rightful recipients.

“We urge the state government to respect the principles of fiscal federalism and local autonomy and to recognize the constitutional rights of local governments to receive and manage their own funds. Anything less would be a betrayal of the public trust and a dereliction of duty.

“We demand that all future allocations meant for local governments should remain with the local governments to enable them to carry out their elective functions without interference or reimbursement to the state government. The people deserve better governance, and it’s time for the state government to prioritize their needs.” he said. 

But in a reaction, the APC described the allegations as baseless and nothing short of “blatant lie” aimed at misleading the public and creating unnecessary tension. 

Speaking through its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Steve Otaloro, the party, said that at no point did the state government under Aiyedatiwa interfered with or misappropriated the funds.

It explained that since the assumption of office, Aiyedatiwa has maintained a commitment to democratic governance at the local government level, ensuring that local councils function effectively even in the absence of elections. 

According to the party, the approach was designed to prevent any vacuum in governance at the grassroots and to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency.

“It is apparent that Barr. Akinbuli is more concerned with creating sensational headlines to distract from the internal issues plaguing the SDP, including its national leadership struggles and corruption, rather than focusing on the real challenges facing his party. 

“His attempts to meddle in local government affairs, of which he seems to have little understanding, are misguided. The local government chairmen, who are the elected representatives of the people, are in the best position to report on the developments within their jurisdictions.

“As a political party, we take pride in the progress reports we receive from local government leaders, who are diligently working to implement our ‘Our Ease’ policy under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration. We encourage them to continue their efforts in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Ondo State,” the party said. 

Last year, Aiyedatiwa claimed he does not interfere in the federal allocations that are accurable to the LGAs in the state. 

The governor, who spoke at the palace of Yangede of Epe in Ondo East Local Government Area of the state, added that he always ensures that the financial resources that belong to the local government go to them.

“My administration is not touching the allocations going to the local governments. What belongs to them is going to them, and that is why they can effectively get the traditional rulers and other stakeholders involved in the scheme of things,” he noted.