The Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu, in his intervention in the political crisis in the state, requested a signed resignation letter from the Deputy Governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
After a months-long political deadlock with the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa presided over the state’s executive council meeting on Thursday.
Tinubu convened the executive council meeting after summoning warring factions loyal to Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa to resolve the state’s political issue.
Tinubu’s involvement meant that Akeredolu stayed governor and Aiyedatiwa remained deputy governor, according to the Presidency.
However, Ademola-Olateju, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics on Friday, said that the President asked the deputy governor for a signed undated resignation later in case anything untoward happens.
“First of all before I even talk about the Abuja meeting I just want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for being a very good leader, wielding into the crisis in Ondo State.
“His intervention has cooled the temperature that was just going haywire in Ondo State, we thank him. At the Abuja meeting, key decisions were made by Mr President who is the leader of our party the All Progressives Congress. Those key decisions were that the status quo in the state be maintained.
“He decided that the executive council must not be dissolved under any condition and the party structure should be maintained, that the leadership of the House of Assembly should be intact and he nominated three people; the Secretary to the State Government, the party chairman and the speaker of the house to be the enforcers and to forestall further problems.
“He asked for the signed resignation letter of Honourable Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Deputy Governor undated in case anything untoward happens, so that is what I know,” the commissioner said.
The Ondo State House of Assembly and its Speaker also withdrew an appeal filed before the Court of Appeal, Abuja, against the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which stopped the planned impeachment of Aiyedatiwa.
The House of Assembly and its Speaker had challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Abuja to handle the matter and appealed against the court’s ruling halting the planned impeachment of the deputy governor.
At Thursday’s proceedings, counsel for the Speaker and the Assembly, Remi Olatobura, told the three-member panel of justices of the appellate court that he has the instructions of his clients to withdraw the appeal.
The senior lawyer told the court that parties in the matter have found a political solution to their problems and have signed an agreement to withdraw the appeal.
According to Olatubora, the appeal is being withdrawn in the interest of peace and, as part of the agreement reached by the parties.
Respondents in the appeal confirmed that they were served with the notice of withdrawal adding that, they were not objecting to the notice of withdrawal.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, who led the three-member panel, subsequently dismissed the appeal, having been withdrawn by the appellants.