One of the affected caretaker chairpersons faulted the governor's decision to suspend the committees when a stay of execution against the court order had been secured.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has suspended all Local Government caretaker committees appointed by his predecessor, the late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, pending the resolution of the matter in court.
The caretaker committees were appointed and sworn-in for the 18 Local Government Areas and the newly created 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) by the late governor.
But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had gone to court to challenge the appointment of the caretaker committees following which an order was secured from an Akure high court restraining the committees from being inaugurated.
The PDP's contention is hinged on the fact that only democratically elected officials should run the LGAs as provided for by the 1999 Constitution as amended.
On their part, members of the caretaker committees filed a counter-application to secure a reprieve for a stay of execution of the initial order.
The caretaker committees, on the strength that they had already been sworn-in before the order was made, continued to administer the councils.
However, on Wednesday, Mr Aiyedatiwa, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, in a letter signed by Alonge Adewale, suspended all the caretaker chairmen indefinitely.
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"It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that despite the suspension of all recently appointed Caretaker Committee members for Local Government (LGAS) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state by a Court of competent jurisdiction, some individuals are still parading themselves in those positions.
"Consequently, I have been directed to request the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective Local Government Areas/ LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all legal matters relating to this subject," the letter read.
The governor's directive also included the requirement that the suspended caretaker chairmen submit, "without delay", all assets and properties of the LGAs/LCDAs.
Speaking on the matter, one of the affected caretaker chairmen, who would not want to be named, said the appointees were prepared to pursue the matter up to the Supreme Court.
He faulted the governor's decision to suspend the committees when a stay of execution against the court order had been secured.
A report of Mr Aiyedatiwa's suspension of the committees first surfaced when he attempted to take charge of the government following President Bola Tinubu's intervention in the crisis that rocked the state cabinet.
But the directive was immediately withdrawn and a statement from the governor's office denied the dissolution of the caretaker committees.
