To resolve the enduring crisis in the state that has persisted for five months, President Tinubu and senior leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have opted to employ the concept of necessity by appointing Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as acting governor.
This decision was reached on Friday during a closed-door meeting held in the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where President Tinubu, members of Akeredolu’s cabinet, and representatives from the House of Assembly of Ondo State were in attendance.
Following a prolonged medical break, Governor Akeredolu returned to Germany in September and has since been recuperating at his Ibadan home, minimizing public appearances. The extended absence has heightened political tension and uncertainty, prompting the need for a prompt resolution.
By invoking the doctrine of necessity, it is anticipated that the Ondo State House of Assembly will reconvene on Monday to officially appoint Aiyedatiwa as acting governor, granting him full executive powers to lead the state.
The doctrine of necessity, a legal principle allowing for extraordinary measures to maintain order and uphold constitutional principles, has been previously utilized in Nigeria. In 2010, it was invoked to address a similar crisis arising from the prolonged absence of then-President Umar Yar’Adua, facilitating Goodluck Jonathan’s assumption of the role of acting president.
President Tinubu’s intervention is motivated by concerns over the escalating political tension in Ondo State, exacerbated by Akeredolu’s prolonged absence and power struggles among cabinet members and lawmakers.
The meeting at the Presidential Villa brought together key figures, including the national chairman of the APC Abdullahi Ganduje, Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa, Ondo State Secretary to the Government Oladuni Odu, former APC national chairman Bisi Akande, Finance Commissioner Wale Akinrinwa, House Speaker Olamide Oladiji, APC state chairman Ade Adetimehin, and members of the National Assembly from Ondo State.
It is noteworthy that the governor’s wife, Betty Akeredolu, and son, Babajide, were reportedly denied entry to the meeting room during the critical decision-making process.
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