Indigenes of the Odigbo community in Ondo have protested the alleged imposition of a politician from the Igbo extraction, Nwabara Eucharia, as the caretaker chairperson of the newly-created Odigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu announced the creation of 33 LCDAs to complement the existing 18 local government areas in the state, a development that got the backing of the state House of Assembly last week.

In a protest on Sunday, the Odigbo community alleged that the governor’s wife, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, penned down Ms Nwamara’s name as the LCDA caretaker chairperson.

Mrs Nwamara is the current councillor representing Ore Ward.

The aggrieved community members who took their protest to the palace of Orunja of Odigbo kingdom, Oba Rufus Adegboyega Akinrinmade, said it would be uncultured for a non-indigene to be appointed as caretaker chairperson of the LCDA.

The protesters vowed to resist the appointment of Ms Nwamara. They noted that it would be “insulting” for their monarch to take orders from the caretaker chairperson who is not a daughter of the soil and indigene of the community.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, a community leader, Femi Olafumiloye, said Odigbo indigenes were prepared to reject a “total stranger” as caretaker chairperson for the new LCDA.

Mr Olafunmiloye, who described the alleged action of the governor’s wife as uncalled for, said appointing Ms Nwamara would threaten peace in the community.

“How can we start an LCDA with a total stranger as the first caretaker chairperson? It is a passionate plea. She (the governor’s wife) can rescind this decision. We cannot take it. Let our people be the chairman. How can an Ibo woman communicate with us?” he queried.

Tunji Moyero, one of the youths in the community, said appointing Ms Nwamara, an Igbo woman, is nothing but an injustice to the people of Odigbo.

He said, “Our king cannot go to council to take orders from someone who is not from here. If we refuse to fight, our children will fight. Everybody must rise to this.

“We are begging the governor’s wife, and if there is any pronouncement to that regard, we have no other way. Our youths are prepared. We are fighting for what is legitimate,” he added.

Mayowa Akinfolarin, a former federal lawmaker and indigene of the community, asked Mrs Akeredolu to rescind her decision on the alleged plan.

Mr Akinfolarin, however, called for calm among the residents of the community, particularly the angry youths.

“And we appeal to Mrs Akeredolu that we love her and our neighbours. We are saying no to anything that will tamper with the peace of this locality,” he added,

Addressing the protesting members of the community, the traditional ruler sued for peace and said the issue would be resolved amicably.

He, however, promised to reach out to the political leaders in and outside the community to calm the nerves of the protestors.

Reacting in a chat, the senior special assistant on media to the governor’s wife, Oluwatobilola Fademi, denied the involvement of the governor’s wife in the politics of the creation of LCDA in Odigbo.

Ms Fademi added that Mrs Akeredolu had not been in the country and could not have picked anyone to be the caretaker chairperson of a newly created LCDA.

“I’m not aware of any plan to impose a non-indigene as the caretaker chairman of the new LCDA. Her excellency is not in Nigeria, and she could not have done that,” she said.