FOLLOWING the intervention of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the impeachment process against the embattled Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, indications have emerged that majority of the APC Peace Committee members had sympathy for Aiyedatiwa.
Recall that the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, had set up a reconciliation committee to resolve the political disagreement between Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa.
The committee had invited and engaged the Chairman of the party in the state, Ade Adetimehin, Aiyedatiwa and members of the National Assembly, in Abuja.
Giving an insight to what transpired at the Abuja peace meeting presided by Ganduje, a party leader said members of the committee tactically gave the deputy governor a soft landing.
The source said: “Majority of the committee members took sides with Aiyedatiwa because they have an unresolved grudge with Akeredolu.
“The grudges against Akeredolu were based on his intervention on national issues, especially his outspokenness during the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
“The committee already made up its mind. Except for the former governor of Osun State and Lagos State deputy governor, others in the committee have one or two issues to settle with the governor.
“Many of them have been waiting for an opportunity to flex muscles with the governor. They see Akeredolu as a very stubborn person. They didn’t like his public stance on issues like Fulani herdsmen and demand for restructuring.
“There are people in the committee that hated Akeredolu because he led the establishment of Amotekun in the Southwest. Most of the moves against the governor now are because of his stance on national issues.
“The committee is also biased. Truth is that, seven out of the eight members of the House of Representatives and the three Senators from the state have asked Aiyedatiwa to go and apologize to his boss, but the committee is assuring him that nothing will happen to him even if he doesn’t apologize.
“As it stands, the committee is not giving any chance to the governor. It’s clear that the recommendation will be against the governor and members of the House of Assembly.”
We’re not against political solution- Ondo Assembly
Meanwhile, members of the House of Assembly, yesterday, expressed the desire of the APC members in the House to further consult with other members of the House cutting across party lines, on the political solution as proposed by the APC.
The spokesperson of the assembly, Mr Olatunji Emmanuel, said: “The APC lawmakers believe that in the same spirit of genuine drive for a political solution, the Deputy-Governor would take immediate steps to withdraw the multiple court cases he filed over the same impeachment.
“This would allow the stakeholders to freely discuss the settlement proposals and prevent actions or comments over a matter that is still subjudiced.”
Why Akeredolu hasn’t returned to Ondo —Aide
Giving reasons for Governor Akeredolu’s inability to return to Ondo State, the Special Adviser on Special Duty and Strategy to the governor, Dr Doyin Odebowale said the governor is not back in Akure, the state capital because of accommodation challenges.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Odebowale said: “Akeredolu came back in September. Where he used to stay – the Presidential Lodge built for the visiting president at that time Olusegun Obasanjo–is a two-bedroom apartment.
“Now, he is back. He cannot occupy that place again. The Old Governor’s Office – the Governor’s Lodge built by the previous administration is now the office of the investment outlet called the ODIPA. That’s the office.““So, the governor has been managing a two-bedroom apartment for six years. But his current state of health would not permit him to pretend that all is well.
“He would need all the things for him to recover properly. That’s why the new place that is being arranged for him is almost completed. When they say they want to see Aketi, do they want to see him at the site so that he would be carrying cement or following workmen? What exactly? The civil servants have been paid all their salaries. Aketi has been signing laws since he came back.
“The governor is in charge, he is recuperating, convalescing, the governor was visited by the APC leadership from Abuja, they saw him, he was in a hurry to return to Akure and they know who is sponsoring these people.”
