By Ayodele Oni
There is an agitation in the coastal area of Ondo State over the continued representation of the area on the Board of the Nigeria Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) by Mr. Otito Atikase.
The Coalition of Stakeholders from the Oil-Producing Areas of Ondo State accused Atikase, current commissioner representing the area on the NDDC Board, of non- performance and demanded his recall.
The coalition issued a two-week ultimatum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanding the immediate removal of Atikase.
In a petition dated October 15, 2025, and jointly signed by about 50 youth leaders drawn from the State’s oil-producing communities, the coalition accused Atikase of gross misconduct, abuse of office, nepotism, and total disconnect from the people he represents.
The letter, addressed to President Tinubu, and copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), expressed “deep disappointment, anger, and frustration” over what they described as the former lawmaker’s “invisibility and failure to deliver tangible benefits” to the state’s oil-bearing areas.
According to the coalition, since his appointment, Atikase has allegedly “turned the Ondo State seat on the NDDC Board into a ghost position”, depriving the state of visibility, representation, and developmental projects.
The petition, titled “A Call for the Immediate Removal of Hon. Otito Atikase Ehinmore, Ondo State Representative on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)”, partly reads:
“We, the undersigned Coalition of Youth Movements and Stakeholders from the oil-producing areas of Ondo State, rise in unity to demand the immediate removal of Hon. Otito Atikase Ehinmore from the NDDC Board.”
“Our position is driven by a deep sense of disappointment and betrayal. Since his appointment, Hon. Ehinmore has consistently demonstrated disconnection, irresponsibility, and self-serving conduct that grossly undermines the mandate of the NDDC and the trust of the people of Ondo State”
The petitioners alleged that Atikase has failed to engage with local stakeholders, youth groups, and traditional rulers in the coastal communities of Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas, which constitute Ondo State’s oil-producing belt.
“Hon. Otito Atikase Ehinmore has been completely invisible and unavailable in all oil-producing communities of Ondo State since assuming office. He has failed to initiate or attract any meaningful development projects, nor has he created any avenue for interaction with the people he represents,” the statement added.
The group maintained that their agitation is not politically motivated but stems from the need for effective representation and accountability from Ondo State’s representative on the NDDC board.
They warned that failure by the presidency to act within the stipulated two-week period would compel the coalition to mobilize mass protests across the oil-producing communities and shut down all NDDC-related activities in the state.
“We will not continue to be silent spectators while our region suffers from neglect and misrepresentation. The time for change is now,” the petition concluded.
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