The political turmoil in Ondo State takes a chaotic turn as President Bola Tinubu’s effort to mediate the power struggle between Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, faces potential derailment. Speculations are rife that the state House of Assembly is poised to declare Aiyedatiwa as the acting governor, thwarting Tinubu’s intervention.
Sources reveal that the Assembly is slated to convene on Tuesday to deliberate on the contentious proposal of installing Aiyedatiwa as the acting governor. Governor Akeredolu, who has been recuperating out of the state for the past six months, finds his camp scrambling to counter the imminent upheaval against him.
Amidst this political maelstrom, a press release by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale, urged all factions to reconcile and uphold peace. Ngelale emphasised the preservation of Akeredolu’s leadership, Aiyedatiwa’s deputy position, and the continuity of the State Executive Council, as well as the undisturbed leadership of the House of Assembly and the Ondo State APC Chapter.
Nevertheless, Aiyedatiwa reportedly convened with sympathetic members of the Ondo State House of Assembly on Sunday night, adamantly pushing to be declared acting governor on Tuesday. An anonymous lawmaker disclosed the deputy governor’s defiance towards the President’s intervention, asserting his demand for the role.
In response to these developments, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, maintained that the lawmakers are aligned with the agreements made during the meeting with President Tinubu. He stressed the need to disregard any decision conflicting with the resolutions reached with the President.
