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Tinubu Resolves Lingering Ondo Political Crisis
* Asks feuding parties to bury hatchet
* Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa camps promise to uphold peace, maintain status quo
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The lingering political crisis rocking Ondo State appears to have been settled for good as President Bola Tinubu Friday night intervened and amicably resolved the months-long face-off between the warring camps of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
This was sequel to marathon negotiations between the president and the deputy governor, representatives of Governor Akeredolu, federal and state lawmakers in Ondo, officials of the state’s chapter of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) and other stakeholders in the state at the State House, Abuja.
President Tinubu, according to a release issued on Saturday by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, at the meeting, advised all opposing parties to bury the hatchet and embrace peace, eliciting commitments to this effect.
This in essence means Governor Akeredolu remains the chief executive of the Sunshine State, Aiyedatiwa still deputy governor, and members of the State Executive Council continue their respective duties, even as the leadership of the state’s House of Assembly and the APC Chapter in Ondo State is preserved.
In the resolution brokered by the president, while the deputy governor agreed to carry members of the cabinet and other senior government officials along, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Oladiji Olamide, agreed to halt ongoing impeachment proceedings.
Giving the assurance to carry all along and calling for cooperation to move the state forward, Aiyedatiwa said: “I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go and also let God, just as the president has advised us.
“And I want to say that no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I’ve survived it and every other thing in his past.
“It is one big family and our father has intervened to bring all the children together to remain under the same family and with the position that I occupy, I will carry everyone of you along in every decision that needs to be taken and everything that we do, we will work together; the executive and the legislature will work together to ensure that governance is on the right track.
“We should respect one another regarding the offices we occupy and our age differences. So, it’s going to be mutual respect.
“And I want to assure the party structure that we will work together because the party is supreme. We will always give you the due respect.”
Reading out details of the resolutions after the meeting, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Olamide, said: “Our resolution is that one, we shall embrace peace. Secondly, there would be no more dissolution of the cabinet and the deputy governor would maintain status quo as far as the House of Assembly leadership is concerned.
“We will maintain status quo as far as the party leadership in the state is concerned and maintain status quo as far as the leadership of the state House of Assembly is concerned. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, said: “Our father, the president, has taken the trouble to settle our rancour in Ondo State. We owe you all the gratitude, Sir. We will not disappoint you. We have taken every word you said. And we are going home as one united family under the party, APC.”
In his remarks, the state APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, expressed delight at the outcome of Friday’s late night deliberations, affirming that the party will remain a watchdog to ensure that the new commitments are adhered to.
He said: “Today is my happiest moment. And I know sanity has come to Ondo State. So, on behalf of the teeming supporters of our party in the state, we appreciate our leader, Mr. President.
“PDP has crumbled in the state; virtually, they decamp every day. The only problem we have is the one you have solved for us today. And that problem has been resolved permanently.”