Impeachment Threat Over, Deputy Governor Stays If He Writes Resignation — Ondo Assembly

The Ondo State House of Assembly has resolved to maintain the status quo in the government arrangement thereby refusing to activate the doctrine of necessity that would have transmitted powers to the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as acting governor.

The assembly, according to its speaker, Olamide Oladiji, reached the resolution after an extensive plenary session on Tuesday that dragged late into the night.

Recall that the Assembly resolved that it supported the resolution reached and agreed with President Bola Tinubu at a meeting that was held last week in Abuja, thereby ending the expectations that Aiyedatiwa would be declared acting governor with the continued absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Oladiji, who read the resolution reached with Tinubu at the plenary, said the state’s political status quo would be maintained in the absence of the governor.

He said it was resolved that Aiyedatiwa maintained his position as the deputy governor of the state while all the impeachment proceedings against him by the Assembly were terminated.

“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 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status quo be maintained by all parties; that all impeachment proceedings be terminated forthwith, and all court cases withdrawn by all parties; that there will be no dissolution of the State Executive Council;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 Secretary to the State Government, Princess Catharine Oladunni Odu, were appointed to monitor compliance with the foregoing resolution,” he said.

While appreciating Tinubu for intervening in the political logjam of the state, the Speaker urged loyalists to sheathe their swords and bury the hatchet by thinking of better ways to accelerate the much-needed development of the state in the interest of the people.

“On our own part, I pledge, as always, on behalf of my colleagues to continue to work with the other arms of government and other stakeholders towards enhancing the delivery of democratic dividends to our people.

“Let me at this juncture warn politicians and other gladiators fanning the embers of war, in this state, because of their political interests to please thread softly as the House of Assembly will not hesitate to deploy the full weight of the law in calling them to order.”

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had last week Friday intervened in the feud between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa as the former continued to hang on to power despite his absence from the state.

Since Tinubu’s intervention, loyalists of the deputy governor had high expectations snd the belief that Aiyedatiwa would be declared as the acting governor in the absence of the governor.