A controversy is raging in Ondo State over the prolonged absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from the state and his seclusion from the public.
Mr Akeredolu officially resumed duties in the first week of September after returning from a three-month medical leave in Germany. But he has since not set foot in the state. He has also not addressed the people of the state or been seen in public, not even during visits by state officials to his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
While the governor remained out of view, a political drama was underway in the state as the House of Assembly launched a bid to remove his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for alleged disloyalty to Mr Akeredolu.
The lawmakers last week suspended the move against the deputy governor after the state’s chief judge, Olusegun Odusola, declined their request to set up a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Mr Aiyedatiwa by the lawmakers.
Mr Odusola’s decision was based on an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja restraining him from setting up the panel until the court had determined a suit filed by Mr Aiyedatiwa on the move for his removal from office.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has asked the governor to return to Akure, the state capital, and discharge his responsibilities to the people of the state.
The opposition party said the governor should “come out” or resign honourably, even as it attacked the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for condoning the seclusion of the governor.
“The governor has been absent from his duty post since April this year, yet they are comfortable with the total collapse of governance in the state,” the PDP spokesperson in the state, Kennedy Peretei, said in a statement on Sunday.
“If they know where Akeredolu is, they should ask him to come out or resign honourably.”
Speaking in the same vein, a socio-political group in the state, Ondo Redemption Front (ORF), also called on Mr Akeredolu to address the state or resign from office if he is not fit to govern the state.
“It is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf, the state of comatose that Ondo State has found herself in recent times,” the chairman of the group, Ayodeji Ologun, said.
“And regrettably so because she used to be the shining star of the West and a reference point in good governance and social welfare of the citizens.
“Governance has suddenly taken flight, leaving the people without leadership, direction or representation in all forms.”
Don’t instigate crisis, APC warns
However, the APC has accused the PDP of trying to create chaos in the state by its utterance regarding the governor and governance.
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“The essence of the arrangement, it was further gathered, is to create a semblance of political instability in the peaceful state, in addition to portraying the ruling party in a bad light, ahead of the governorship election, coming up next year,” Alex Kalejaiye, the APC spokesperson in the state, said in a statement.
“It has come to our knowledge that some PDP chieftains, who have started making huge contributions, in collaboration with some players within our fold, have finalised plans to destabilise the Sunshine State.
“We are very optimistic that our Governor; your performing Governor, will be in our midst in a matter of days.
“It is imperative to state that any political gathering or activity at this time could easily be hijacked beyond the control and capacity of the organizers.
“We therefore call on security agencies to be vigilant and ensure that every gathering is well guided, and closely monitored for compliance.”
“It has come to our knowledge that some PDP chieftains, who have started making huge contributions, in collaboration with some players within our fold, have finalised plans to destabilise the Sunshine State.
“We are very optimistic that our Governor; your performing Governor, will be in our midst in a matter of days.
“It is imperative to state that any political gathering or activity at this time could easily be hijacked beyond the control and capacity of the organizers.
“We therefore call on security agencies to be vigilant and ensure that every gathering is well guided, and closely monitored for compliance.”
But the PDP dismissed the allegations that it was planning to destabilize the state as diversionary, challenging the APC to address the people of Ondo over the absence of their governor.
Earlier last week, the state Commissioner for Information, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, clashed with the anchor of Arise TV Morning Show programme, Reuben Abati, for demanding information on the governor’s whereabouts.
Mr Abati had queried the absence of Mr Akeredolu and decried the “absence of governance in Ondo State.”
Reacting, Mrs Ademola-Olateju, condemned the comments of Mr Abati.
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“This supposed reportage on the happenings in Ondo State centres on the unguarded, mischievous, and obviously partisan role of the anchors of the programme, particularly Reuben Abati, a failed PDP Deputy Gubernatorial candidate on a joint ticket with the late Buruji Kashamu in Ogun State,” the commissioner said.
“This hypocritical outburst is typical of the accustomed notoriety of certain media outlets prominent among which is Arise TV.
“The inanities, emotive and utterly irresponsible utterances of Reuben Abati should elicit serious concerns among the regulatory bodies saddled with the onerous duties of ensuring that stragglers are restrained from traversing the bounds of professional ethics, decorum, and decency.
“This creeping recklessness appears to be gaining currency because of the absence of the application of appropriate sanctions.”
“This hypocritical outburst is typical of the accustomed notoriety of certain media outlets prominent among which is Arise TV.
“The inanities, emotive and utterly irresponsible utterances of Reuben Abati should elicit serious concerns among the regulatory bodies saddled with the onerous duties of ensuring that stragglers are restrained from traversing the bounds of professional ethics, decorum, and decency.
“This creeping recklessness appears to be gaining currency because of the absence of the application of appropriate sanctions.”
Mr Abati had also raised concerns over the planned impeachment of the deputy governor, a situation he said had further rendered the state leaderless.
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