Ondo State’s Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, came back to the state after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja last Friday. This meeting involved key stakeholders from the Ondo All Progressives Congress, aiming to address the ongoing political turbulence in the state.
The turmoil involved the Ondo State House of Assembly pushing for Aiyedatiwa’s impeachment due to a strained relationship between Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa. The latter had been acting as governor during Akeredolu’s extended medical absence in Germany.
Reports indicated that the Assembly met on Tuesday, revealing that Aiyedatiwa was requested to submit an undated resignation letter as part of efforts to resolve the political discord. Assembly Speaker Olamide Oladiji stated that this decision arose from the meeting with Tinubu in Abuja.
However, a confidant of the deputy governor, speaking to The PUNCH, expressed Aiyedatiwa’s dissatisfaction with the arrangement.
On Wednesday, it was learned that the deputy governor returned to the state and proceeded to his office for official duties. A source from the deputy governor’s office mentioned that Aiyedatiwa would chair the state Executive Council meeting scheduled for Thursday.
The source said, “The deputy governor is around and he has resumed office today (Wednesday). He would preside over the exco meeting tomorrow (Thursday).”
Aiyedatiwa has been battling for political survival in the state as the state House of Assembly attempted to remove him following an allegation of gross misconduct against him.
The impeachment process was however stalled as the state Chief Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, refused the request of the Assembly to set up a seven-man panel to investigate the deputy governor.
The crisis started when Akeredolu returned to the country after a medical vacation in Germany, in September this year. The crisis led to the intervention of President Tinubu, who held a meeting with the concerned parties last Friday.
On Wednesday, an Ondo APC chieftain, Otunba Olumide Araoyinbo, hailed the intervention of the President, saying would finally resolve the crisis and help to resuscitate commerce in the state.
Araoyinbo, a former Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly and President of the state Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a statement on Wednesday, said the political crisis created a climate of fear and discouraged commercial activities.
He hoped that peace had finally returned after Tinubu’s intervention.
Meanwhile, a group, Concerned Elites of Ondo State, in a statement on Wednesday, accused the Speaker of twisting the resolutions reached in the meeting with Tinubu.
The group said, “We have noticed that Mr Speaker, for reasons known to him, deliberately twisted facts to suit a certain interest by asserting that there was no agreement to transfer power to the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following the prolonged absence of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
“While reading the major conditions of status quo put forward at the meeting, which include retaining the cabinet, Assembly leadership and party leadership as currently constituted in the State, Mr. Speaker refused to mention that those conditions were hinged on Aiyedatiwa gaining acting governorship status.”
