Apply Constitution to tackle Ondo political acrimony, group urges Tinubu

DAMISI OJO, Akure

A concerned group has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider the position of law through Nigeria’s Constitution to permanently resolve the lingering political crisis in Ondo State.

While appreciating the recent intervention into the crisis by the key players in the All Progressives Congress(APC) led by the President, the group noted that imposition of the ailing Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on citizenry in the state was an illegal act.

The group quoted Nigeria’s Constitution Chapter 6, Part 2, Section I89, which states clearly the position of law on permanent incapacity of Governor or his Deputy.

It reads:”If Governor or Deputy Governor suffering from such infirmity of body or mind has rendered him permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office…his Deputy takes over particularly in a case of the Ondo State governor as a reference”.

The group emphasized that the main roles and responsibilities of a Deputy Governor include, assisting the Governor in exercising primary assignments and also eligible to replace a dead, impeached, absent or ailing Governor as required by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

“We, however, as a matter of fact believed the fact that Aiyedatiwa as the Deputy Governor be approved as the acting Governor of Ondo state for peace to reign within the APC ahead of 2024 governorship election'” the statement stressed.

It would be recalled that the embattled Deputy Governor, Aiyedatiwa sought to halt his impeachment process through an order of Court at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The Court consequently granted an order to suspend the impeachment process initiated by the Ondo State House of Assembly.

Dissatisfied with the ruling of Justice Emeka Nwite on September 26, 2023, the Ondo State Assembly and its Speaker (4th&6th Defendants) appealed the decision.

They also challenged the Court’s Jurisdiction to issue the order.

The appellants thereafter filed an application to expedite the compilation and transmission of Appeal Records.

At the hearing, the Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa represented by his counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa(SAN), vehemently opposed the application, urging the Court to dismiss it for lacking merits.

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