The legal battle over access to Ondo State’s financial and accountability records has taken a fresh twist, as the High Court sitting in Akure has granted stay of execution in two controversial Freedom of Information (FOI) cases.
Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi, presiding over the applications filed by the Ondo State Government, suspended enforcement of earlier rulings delivered on September 11, 2025, which had ordered the release of sensitive state documents. The stay will remain in effect pending determination of appeals already lodged at the Court of Appeal.
The earlier judgments, delivered by Justice T.M. Adedipe, had compelled the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowumi Isaac, to provide certified copies of allocations from the Joint Local Government Account to all 18 councils between January and July 2025. In a separate ruling, the Ondo State House of Assembly was ordered to disclose the asset declaration records of all commissioners screened within the same period.
Both rulings were secured by Akure-based lawyer, Femi Emmanuel Emodamori, who had argued that public access to such records was constitutionally guaranteed and crucial for transparency in governance.
But at Thursday’s proceedings, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo (SAN), led a team of government lawyers to successfully persuade the court to halt execution of the rulings. Ajulo maintained that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration has never disregarded valid court orders, describing it as one of the most law-abiding in the country.
“There has never been, and there will never be, any instance where this government disregards a valid court order under my watch,” Ajulo declared, stressing that the Aiyedatiwa government is anchored on fairness, justice and due process.
The stay of execution means both the Ministry of Finance and the Ondo State House of Assembly have secured temporary legal relief, shielding them from immediate compliance until the appeals are heard.
Meanwhile, legal observers note that the September 11 rulings had been hailed as watershed moments for accountability in governance. Justice Adedipe had dismissed the government’s objections, affirming that local government allocations and commissioners’ asset declarations are matters of public interest and cannot be hidden under claims of privacy.
For Emodamori, the judgments were “a bold step towards transparency,” underscoring citizens’ right to know how their leaders handle public resources. With the new twist, however, the final word now rests with the appellate court.
