Ondo local government workers warn of a backlash at the 2023 general elections against lawmakers or parties who reject local government autonomy
Ondo local government workers on Tuesday besieged the state House of Assembly to register their displeasure with a suspected move by the lawmakers to vote against the local government autonomy clause in the ongoing legislative process for the alteration of the 1999 Constitution.
State Houses of Assembly across the country are currently considering the bills for constitution amendment sent to them earlier in the year by the National Assembly.
Led in the protest by the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the state, Bola Taiwo, the workers said they heard that the lawmakers were under pressure to vote against the clause for the autonomy of the third tier of government.
The workers during the protest which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, shut down the state Assembly complex.
Shouting "No autonomy, no election" they vowed to ensure that the state does not participate in the forthcoming general elections if the lawmakers go against the clause.
As a result of the protest, only two out of 26 lawmakers showed up at the complex as others stayed away from plenary which was slated for 1 p.m.
Mr Taiwo said the protesters would not allow the lawmakers into the complex unless they guaranteed to vote for local government autonomy
He also threatened to paralyse political activities in the state over their demand.
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There had been rumours that the state government was putting pressures on the lawmakers to reject the LG autonomy clause.
The workers who stormed the Assembly complex with placards said they would reject any lawmaker or party that does not stand with them on the issue.
Some of the placards read, "Yes to LG autonomy" "Yes to judicial autonomy" "No autonomy, No vote" and "On autonomy we stand".
Mr Taiwo, while addressing the protesters, said 16 states had so far endorsed the LG autonomy bill.
He said Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has no reason to stand against the clause as workers voted for his reelection because he promised them local government autonomy.
The executive arm has, however, refused to make any comment despite the rumour that it was arm-twisting the lawmakers to reject the clause.
But the state House of Assembly denied the rumour.
Two lawmakers who attended to the protesters, Feyide Oluyede representing Ose and Leonard Akintomide (Ondo West) who is the Deputy Minority leader, told the protesters that nobody has told the lawmakers to reject the local government autonomy.
The lawmakers promised to deliver the protest letter to the Speaker of the Assembly, David Oleyeloogun, who they regretted was not around to personally receive it.
The National Assembly has passed the alteration bill, leaving the final task of concurrence or otherwise to state assemblies.
It requires the endorsement of 24 state Houses of Assembly to pass any clause in the amendment bill passed by the National Assembly.
Only clauses that cross that threshold will be forwarded by the National Assembly to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
