The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke, has pledged to fully implement local government autonomy if elected, promising to liberate the third tier of government from state-level control and trigger grassroot development across all local councils.

The candidate made this commitment during a stakeholder meeting with community leaders, market associations, and party loyalists.

The candidate decried the continuous underdevelopment at the grassroots level, attributing it directly to the stifling of local government funds by successive state administrations through the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC).

By guaranteeing total financial and administrative autonomy, the ADC flagbearer stated that local government chairmen would finally have the direct resources required to fix rural roads, clear blocked drainage systems, rehabilitate primary healthcare centers, and manage community security challenges without waiting for approvals from the state capital, Ibadan.

Beyond financial independence, the candidate outlined a comprehensive blueprint to ensure that local government authorities are held strictly accountable to the people they serve. The proposed reform under an ADC administration includes establishing mandatory community town hall meetings where council leadership must present quarterly financial audits directly to residents.

The candidate urged voters to reject dominant political parties that have historically undermined local governance, emphasizing that real national progress can only be achieved when the third tier of government is structurally empowered to function independently.