On Friday, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo State, was given a 72-hour ultimatum by some opposition party chieftains and PDP support groups to transfer control to his deputy, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, or face terrible consequences.
The organisations threatened to take over the governor’s office under the banner of PDP Forever Initiative if Akeredolu (the governor) disregarded the 72-hour deadline.
The parties’ National Coordinator, Hon. Obande Gideon Obande, spoke at a news conference held at the PDP national secretariat. He expressed concern that President Bola Tinubu and the APC’s national leadership had neglected to address the unresolved constitutional issue.
Concerned about the perceived lack of leadership resulting from Aketredolu’s departure, the groups demanded that the governor’s deputy be given complete authority to manage governmental matters.
Although the PDP organisations acknowledged that Akeredolu is just human and that they would continue to pray for a speedy recovery, they also stated that Akeredolu’s incapacitation should not have an impact on governance because there is a deputy who will carry out his duties in an acting capacity as required by law.
We thus urge on Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to resume within 72 hours or give over power to his Deputy for efficient management of Ondo State, according to the PDP Forever Initiative.
The PDP Forever Initiative declared, “We boldly say that, should the Governor fail to resume or transfer power to his Deputy within 72 hours, we will have no choice but to occupy Ondo State Government House to press home our demand.”
The groups went on to say, “The All Progressives Congress, or APC, has not yet demonstrated the level of leadership that Nigerians have come to expect from it.
“The worst of it is the political vacuum in Ondo State, which the APC leadership exploited to demonstrate how incapable they are of leading the nation.”
“When former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua became ill and was unable to transfer power to the Vice President before departing the nation, our party used the constitutional authority to designate the Vice President as the Acting President throughout our (PDP’s) tenure in office.
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“The late Governor Danbaba Suntai’s aircraft accident also occurred in Taraba State; we managed to address the situation, but the ruling APC has miserably failed to handle the political problem in Ondo State.
This indicates that the federal administration led by the APC is indifferent to the suffering of Nigerians.
“Why is it so hard to get the State Assembly to convene and make sure that the Deputy Governor and the ailing Governor’s family get along well at work?
“We think the APC has abandoned the constitution to further some personal interests, leaving Nigerians to their faith because the crisis is in Yoruba land.”
“Let it be known that all of us, PDP, APC, and even the Labour Party, own this country. As such, we cannot stand by and watch as the country sinks.”
“Once upon a time, the security agencies stopped the Peoples Democratic Party from protesting against the lack of leadership in Ondo State. We will never give up and will always be tenacious in promoting good government.
Because of their close ties to the ill Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the acts of non-state actors that exhibit their excessive influence over the state’s management of affairs have become absurd, if not downright laughable.
“The ugly situation in the State is the result of the same people who are close to the Governor, primarily his family members, who think that the mandate given to Governor Akeredolu is a retirement benefit to the entire family.”
“The governor has lived in the nation, yet it is clear that he is unfit to lead the State’s affairs.
“The question is, who is currently running the State’s administration because the Governor has declined to restart and the Deputy Governor is not permitted to act?
The PDP group’s demand is not unusual, according to Hon. Obande Gideon, because “the issue at hand is not a party affair, but people’s affair, since the governor was voted by the people,” he said.
“The efficient operation of governmental affairs is hampered by his absence. As required by the constitution, he must transfer authority to the Deputy Governor while he is deemed unfit to hold the position.
He said, “We are concerned about his health, but we are not saying he is not fit to be in office or that his performance is questionable. We are saying he is not constitutionally allowed to remain in office.”
