The Akoko-Edo Development Association (AEDA) has firmly distanced the Akoko-Edo people from the proposed Agbelo East and West Local Government Areas, describing the move as an imposition lacking legitimacy and community consent.
In a statement signed by Barrister Mrs. Mary Opii, Secretary of AEDA, the group condemned the letter dated 8th July 2025 by Hon. Anamero Dekeri, who represents Etsako Federal Constituency, noting that he does not represent Akoko-Edo and has no mandate to speak on its behalf.
The proposal, which suggests carving the Agbelo LGAs from parts of Akoko-Edo and other Edo North areas, was rejected outright for being unconsulted, unsolicited, and misleading. AEDA emphasized that any restructuring of Akoko-Edo must be rooted in inclusive dialogue and historical context.
Instead, the people of Akoko-Edo have submitted their own well-researched, widely supported proposal to the National Assembly, calling for the creation of:
Akoko-Edo North
Akoko-Edo South
Akoko-Edo Central
The group argued that Akoko-Edo has remained the only LGA in Edo State yet to be subdivided since 1963, despite its vast landmass, ethnic diversity, and growing population, conditions that warrant administrative restructuring.
AEDA insists that Dekeri’s Agbelo plan would further marginalize Akoko-Edo, erasing its identity under an unfamiliar structure. They called on the National Assembly, Constitution Review Committee and Senator Adams Oshiomhole to disregard any proposal linking Akoko-Edo to the Agbelo LGAs.
