Tinubu orders Ondo deputy governor to take over power as Gov. Akeredolu goes on medical leave
Following the announcement that Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, will commence his medical leave on Wednesday, as a follow-up to his medical treatment, President Bola Tinubu has instructed the State House of Assembly to transfer power to Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
It was reported that the move is to resolve the leadership crisis that has been going on in the state due to the Governor’s ill health.
The president emphasised that the power transfer should occur unconditionally, adhering to the principle of the “Doctrine of Necessity,” established in 2010 during the illness of then-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
This doctrine allows for temporary power transfer to the vice president when the president cannot fulfill their duties.
Sources close to the matter revealed that the power transfer would be facilitated through electronic signature, as Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, grappling with health issues, is currently too weak to physically sign any documents.
This decision, permitting Akeredolu to take medical leave and prioritise his well-being, comes in response to mounting pressure from various stakeholders, including the opposition People’s Democratic Party and civil society groups.
They have urged the governor to step aside and allow his deputy to assume leadership.
READ ALSO: President Tinubu intervenes in Ondo Governor, deputy feud
Despite previous attempts by the Ondo State House of Assembly to remove Aiyedatiwa from office, President Tinubu’s intervention and subsequent peace deal thwarted those efforts.
Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), won his re-election as the state governor in October 2020 and was sworn in for a second term in office in February 2021.
However, the governor’s second term, since January 2023, has not been a smooth sail as he had to be flown abroad for treatment over a medical condition in June.
The 67-year-old politician returned to Nigeria in September after months overseas but stayed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Akeredolu has been under intense pressure from the opposition to resign or hand over power to his deputy in line with the 1999 constitution.
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