Fijabi Olanrewaju
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly approved Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu’s removal as governor of Ondo State and the appointment of his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the acting governor.
President Tinubu, along with other All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders reportedly agreed to invoke the doctrine of necessity to appoint embattled Mr Aiyedatiwa as acting governor, effectively resolving the five-month-long crisis in the state.
The decision was reached during a closed-door meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday night. The meeting had President Tinubu together with members of Akeredolu’s cabinet and lawmakers from the Ondo State House of Assembly.
Governor Akeredolu, who returned from Germany in September after a prolonged medical leave, has remained absent from the state, opting to recuperate in his Ibadan residence. His extended absence has fueled political tension and uncertainty, prompting the need for a decisive resolution.
With the doctrine of necessity invoked, the Ondo State House of Assembly is expected to reconvene on Monday to formalise Aiyedatiwa’s appointment as acting governor, granting him full executive powers to steer the state forward.
A statement released from the State House was silent on the details of the agreement Eighteen-Eleven Media reports that snippets from the release appear to give credence to the new development.
The statement, which was posted on the social media handle of Mr Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, stated that President Tinubu, late on Friday, resolved the months-long crisis between loyalists of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
According to the statement, the resolution followed marathon talks in the State House, Abuja between the President and the Deputy Governor, representatives of Governor Akeredolu, federal and state lawmakers of Ondo, officials of the All Progressives Congress, and other stakeholders.
The statement said that the President advised all opposing parties to bury the hatchet and embrace peace, eliciting commitments to this effect.
“Under the agreement, Governor Akeredolu remains Chief Executive of the state, Aiyedatiwa remains Deputy Governor.
“Members of the State Executive Council, the House of Assembly and the APC Chapter in Ondo State will remain in their posts”, the statement read.
However, Mr Aiyedatiwa inadvertently gave more than enough hint as to the agreement reached when he was quoted as saying: “I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go and also let God, just as the President has advised us.
“And I want to say that with no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I’ve survived it, and every other thing is in the past.
“It is one big family and our father has intervened to bring all the children together to remain under the same family with the position that I occupy, I will carry every one of you along in every decision that needs to be taken and in everything that we do, we will work together; the executive and the legislature will work together to ensure that governance is on the right track.”
He pleaded with all members of the State Executive Council to rally around the Governor and himself to “bring the dividend of democracy” to the people of Ondo State.
“All the Executive Council members, I want to plead with all of you to cooperate with me, with the Governor, so that we can bring the dividend of democracy to our people.
“We should respect one another regarding the offices we occupy and our age differences. So, it’s going to be mutual respect.
“And I want to assure the party structure that we will work together because the party is supreme. We will always give you your due respect,” the Ondo State Deputy Governor pledged.
On his part, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oladiji Olamide, who read the details of the resolution, said, “Our resolution is that one, we shall embrace peace. Secondly, there would be no more dissolution of the cabinet, and the Deputy Governor would maintain the status quo as far as the House of Assembly leadership is concerned.
“We will maintain the status quo as far as the party leadership in the state is concerned and maintain the status quo as far as the leadership of the State House of Assembly is concerned. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Also, the Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, stated, “Our Father, the President, has taken the trouble to settle our rancour in Ondo State. We owe you all the gratitude, Sir. We will not disappoint you. We have taken every word you said. And we are going home as one united family under the party, APC.”
Ondo State APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, expressed delight at the outcome of Friday’s late-night deliberations, affirming that the party will remain a watchdog to ensure that the new commitments are adhered to.
“Today is my happiest moment. And I know sanity has come to Ondo State. So, on behalf of the teeming supporters of our party in the state, we appreciate our leader, Mr. President.
“PDP has crumbled in the state; virtually, they decamp every day. The only problem we have is the one you have solved for us today. And that problem has been resolved permanently,” Adetimehin stated.
Eighteen-Eleven Media