The silent war between Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu and His Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa took a different turn last week as he cut short his medical trip abroad to return to Nigeria to avoid any impeachment surprises.
The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), was forced to return to Nigeria following an alleged plot by his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and members of the State House of Assembly to impeach him.
Despite being satisfied fit by doctors in Germany, plans by some political gladiators in the state to use the Ondo State House of Assembly to declare him medically unfit to continue to function as the chief executive of the state informed Akeredolu’s decision to terminate his medical leave in the European country to return home.
It was gathered that the state’s House of Assembly was being pressured to ease out the ailing governor from power and install the then-acting governor, Aiyedatiwa, as the substantive Chief Executive of the State.
Recall that Akeredolu had surprisingly returned to Nigeria from Germany last Thursday after three months on medical vacation in Germany. He left the country on June 7, 2023.
The Governor, since his return, has been holding consultative meetings with relevant stakeholders from the state and political associates in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Family members and associates of Akeredolu have openly accused Aiyedatiwa and his associates of plotting to remove his boss from office and being disloyal to the governor, especially during his travails.
Some cabinet members, who have pitched tents with Aiyedatiwa in anticipation that Akeredolu would not return to office, are now gripped by fears of the possibility of losing their jobs.
A source who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimisation told the media that the cold war between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa became evident following the poor reception accorded the deputy governor when he visited his boss in Ibadan on Friday.
The embattled deputy governor was only allowed to attend the meeting the governor held with members of the cabinet and House of Assembly.
It was gathered that Aiyedatiwa was excused from the meetings his boss held with members of the National Assembly from the state, chairmen of boards and parastatals, as well as women and youth groups.
One of the sources who craved anonymity said, “The governor had to return home hurriedly on Thursday when he was faced with the possibility of being impeached by the state’s House of Assembly. His family members and political associates mounted pressure on him to return home in the first instance, even if he would return to Germany at a later date.
“The way the handlers of the deputy governor were going, Governor would have been eased out on the ground that he is medically incapacitated to continue to perform the duties of office for which he was elected. The House of Assembly was being pressured to do the needful to impeach him (Akeredolu) and direct the state’s Chief Judge to immediately swear in the deputy governor as substantive governor.
“But the sudden and unexpected arrival of the governor on Thursday has truncated the plans. The deputy governor’s camp was jolted by the arrival of His Excellency.”
Painting the picture of how the deputy governor was isolated before he left Ibadan on Friday, a reliable source disclosed that “He (Aiyedatiwa) moved from one table to another trying to calm frayed nerves as people were hesitant to associate and discuss with him.
“During the governor’s separate meetings with stakeholders, the deputy was outside loitering around. Even when the wife of the governor came in to greet people, she avoided him.
“Curiously, more than 70 percent of members had already pledged loyalty to him while the rumours of the governor’s incapacitation raged.
“He had initiated a regular weekly meeting with loyal cabinet members, who also recruited influential party leaders to wage the war against the pro-Akeredolu men in government.
“One of the high points of the meeting of the deputy governor’s group was to engage APC leaders in Abuja and pressurize the State Assembly to invoke the doctrine of necessity by declaring Akeredolu unfit.
