Ondo: Kinsman Alleges Plan To Frustrate Acting Governor

By Ayodele Oni

A legal practitioner, Allen Sowore, has alleged that there are moves to frustrate the Acting Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa by some people within the State Cabinet.

Aiyedatiwa became the Acting Governor early this month following Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s request to proceed on medical leave to enable him attend to his health challenges.

Aiyedatiwa’s status as Acting Governor came barely three weeks during which the whereabout of the Governor was unknown and opposition parties were condemning the unnecessary vacuum.

Sowore, a kinsman of the Acting Governor, in a statement entitled, “Akeredolu’s Medical Leave: Before Ondo State Skids Into Full Anarchy And Mobocracy,” said that the activities of the cabals have been frustrating the Acting Governor’s smooth running of Government since the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, transmitted power to him.

According to Sowore ”Section 190 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is apposite:’Whenever the Governor transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Deputy Governor as Acting Governor.”

“Therefore, it is instructive and behoves all the State Government officials – political and civil servants – to report and take orders from the Acting Governor the manner and way they would have done to Mr Governor. Anything to the contrary is tantamount to an act of insubordination.

“This surreptitious sponsored blackmails to smear and besmirch the reputation of the Acting Governor in some sections of the media should not be allowed a breath in a sane society.

“Not even a State prided as the intellectual plinth of South Western Nigeria.

”Its a sharp contradiction, to accuse an Acting Governor of “undermining the authority of the governor’s office”. How can the Acting Governor undermine the authority he is exercising?

“Ridiculously, as expected though, the Cabal complained bitterly in their infamous write up about the functions of the Acting Governor.

”They don’t want the Acting Governor to feature, attend or even appear at any serious State function outside the State. They want to cage him so that he will not have national connection and recognition as the Acting Governor.

“Truly, I will not advise or counsel the Acting Governor to sack or terminate the appointment of any public office holder in the state like the then Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo did to the former Director General of State Security Service, Lawal Daura. He will be playing at the gallery.

“Appropriately, a cabinet reshuffle and rejig of the state cabinet may be desirable to ensure the requisite unity of command in the instant circumstance.

“As critical stakeholders, we simply can not afford to look away while the state skid into full anarchy and mobocracy.”