Eventually, the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu succumbed to death after all was done to keep him alive. The late governor made his mark, no doubt, and anytime the story of Ondo State is told, Akeredolu’s name will be mentioned not just only as a former governor of the Sunshine State, but also as a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.
But before his demise, late Governor Akeredolu’s health and the way it was managed by his minders was not tidy enough.
As an elected governor, the constitution envisaged that the state’s chief executive officer might be indisposed by one reason or the other; that is why it created a space for the deputy governor. So constitutionally, the post of the deputy governor is legitimately created as the natural replacement for the governor whenever he is indisposed, either by way of taking a vacation or as a result of ill health and or death as the case may be. And as it just happened in Ondo State.
When the governor was taking his medical leave, he did well by informing the House of Assembly that he had transmitted power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to hold the fort for him while he was away. So while he was abroad to mind his health, the deputy governor, who had been put in position to act for his boss, was not given a free hand to do his job. In fact, the Sunshine State was left in a state of inertia. Akeredolu’s deputy governor (then) was obviously missing in action and instead of being given the necessary support to perform his job, a lot of encumbrances were put in his path and before long, his presence became useless and the state was left to be on autopilot.
Before long, stories began to fly about that the deputy governor was preoccupied with his own personal agenda to overthrow his boss and that he was so obsessed with automobiles that he dipped his fat hand into the till of the state to acquire a SUV at a princely sum of N300 million.
Also Read:
- Yahaya Bello: Selective prosecution by EFCC unacceptable — Dele Momodu
- Lagos to residents: We won’t back down until we find solution to flooding
- Ex-Bank Manager jailed 121 years for N112m fraud
- IPI Nigeria demands immediate release of FIJ journalist
- Africa and the imperative of South Korea’s development model, by Tunde Rahman
And when suddenly the governor arrived Nigeria on September 7 from Germany, apparently still unfit to take back his job, the first assignment designed by the cabal around the governor was to goad the state House of Assembly to impeach Aiyedatiwa. And that is an assembly in which members were still trying to locate their sitting tags in their chambers. In fact, the quest to get Aiyedatiwa out of the way became their first major assignment, having just resumed barely four months in office. Despite outpouring words of wisdom to leave the poor fellow alone, the Speaker, who had not even handled the gavel well and barely knew what a maze stands for, was so obsessed with the impeachment business as if his life depended on seeing the back of the deputy governor. And for no just reason.
And while all these were going on, the sick governor could not resume work in Akure. He remained in his private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State and in a very poor state of health, he had to attend to state matters, so it appeared and according to the cabal around him. Because of the vacuum so created, all manner of approvals with questionable signatures began to fly around. And Ondo residents were the worst for the whole tragedy.
In fact, nobody would have even noticed the absence of the governor in the state if his deputy had been allowed to hold the fort for him. Probably, the governor would have fared better health wise if he had stayed back in Germany much longer instead of being rushed back home to secure his seat that was not under any threat from his deputy. Then, perhaps, they allowed sentiment to becloud their reasoning that if Aiyedatiwa was left alone to do his work, the absence of the ailing governor would not have been so felt and that, there would not be any pressure put on Akeredolu to resume work in Akure.
And when the embattled deputy governor fought against the impeachment move, the state somewhat became polarised as the deputy governor’s kinsmen vowed to bring down the roof if anything untoward happened to their man.
When the drama got to a head, some leaders in the state called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene to save the state from disintegration. Then, the governor’s health was not getting better despite all that the cabal surrounding him put up to make things appear better. By this time, the deputy literally had disappeared and the state became rudderless. The President heeded the call by offering to intervene, but the manner of the intervention left much to be desired.
It was alleged that the deputy governor was not fairly treated, and this is someone who shared the same ticket with the ailing governor. It was a clear cut case, he should have been advised to take up the job of taking care of the state pending when his boss would be fit to take it back from him. But we were informed that he was told not to do anything to make him feel like the boss. In fact, this has not been refuted till date, that he was asked to sign an undated resignation letter. What’s more, he was virtually handed over to the trio of the Secretary to the State Government, the Speaker and the Chief of Staff to the deceased governor for “close marking”. What an irony, an elected official to be watched by unelected, handpicked individuals!
Well, everything is history now. Aiyedatiwa is now the Governor of Ondo State, a Deputy Governor who was prevented by all means not to become the acting governor! There are laws in Nigeria, but one thing about Nigerians is that we always find one way or the other to circumvent the law. If the law says the deputy governor should automatically step in when the governor is indisposed, absent or dead, why should we always want to tinker with the law and order.
Recall the similar scenario when the late President Umar Yar’Adua was faced with a medical challenge, the very powerful cabal around him made everything possible to rule by proxy and dropping his name whereas the poor man was barely lucid, totally oblivious of the goings on around him. The cabal devised every trick to make Nigerians believe that their dying president was fit as fiddle. In fact, but for the inevitability of death, the cabal would still have propped his dead body on the seat and say he was watching over all the goings on from the villa.
It is time to reconsider the absolute power ascribed to governors and the president. The office of the Deputy Governor or the Vice President should be properly defined by the constitution by assigning their roles so that the feeling of insecurity often nursed by their bosses is addressed once and for all. The governor or the president should not always be seen as an absolute ruler. That is what is fueling the fragile relationship between the governor and the deputy or the president and the vice president.
Now that Aiyedatiwa is governor, he must forget bitterness and vengeance. He must realise that destiny has outsmarted everyone and everything that attempted to stop him. He must work for the people of Ondo State. He should rule with the fear of God and make his own mark instead of pursuing any inanities. He must remember that the time he has is short and must be used to achieve an enduring legacy.
At the Eagle Online, we join the rest of Nigeria to wish Akeredolu eternal rest. He has left a mark that cannot be wished away as a lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria at that, and a politician of note. Adieu.