Ondo Assembly Prefers Akeredolu to Rule as Governor from Sickbed 

The House of Assembly in Ondo State has decided to keep things as they are, despite President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the state’s instability.

In order to address the situation brought on by the incapacitation of the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who has been absent from the state for several months due to illness, state legislators, party leaders, and other stakeholders met with President Tinubu in Abuja on Friday of last week.

It was reported from the Abuja meeting that the lawmakers supported the president’s resolution designating Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Akeredolu’s deputy, as the state’s acting governor.

However, on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, while Aiyedatiwa was waiting for the resolution involving President Tinubu to be made public, the state legislators declined to invoke the doctrine of necessity, which would have required the handover of power to him as acting governor, during their plenary session.

Olamide Oladiji, the Speaker of the Assembly, stated that the state’s status quo would persist in Akeredolu’s absence and that the Assembly agreed with the resolution reached with President Tinubu while reading the house’s resolution on the subject.

Akeredolu has reportedly been recovering at his home in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, after being on a sick bed for some time.

Oladiji stated that the assembly decided to keep Aiyedatiwa as the state’s deputy governor while ending the impeachment process against him, despite the void that Akeredolu’s absence created.

The Resolution of the Assembly:

“For the avoidance of doubt, let me present to the good people of Ondo State the resolution reached after the meeting of representatives of the Ondo State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council members, members of the National Assembly from Ondo State, and the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress with his Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the leadership of our great party.

“That all parties shall embrace peace; that status quo be maintained by all parties; that all impeachment proceedings be terminated forthwith and all court cases withdrawn by all parties; that there will be no dissolution of the State Executive Council’

“That undated letter of resignation must be written, signed by the deputy governor and submitted to the President;

“That the party leadership and structures remain intact; that the House of Assembly leadership remains intact;

“That Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa continues to perform the functions of office as Deputy Governor.

“That three enforcers, including the state chairman of APC, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, the Speaker of the State of House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji Adesanmi, and the Secretary to the State Government, Princess Catharine Oladunni Odu, were appointed to monitor compliance with the foregoing resolution.”

This implies that the ailing governor will continue ruling the state from his sickbed while Aiyedatiwa maintains his position as the deputy governor of the state.