Share!
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi has reacted to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s refusal to hand over power to him, after testing positive for the dreaded coronavirus disease.
After testing positive for COVID-19, Governor Akeredolu said he would continue to perform his duties from home and refused to transmit power to his embattled Deputy who recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his state.
MERIDIAN SPY reported earlier, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, defending the Governor’s position, said Akeredolu will not be advised to hand over to his deputy. “It is not done because there is no reason for that,” he said.
“The deputy governor has since left our party and has since left governance, even though he has not left government.
“You cannot hand over government to someone who has left governance , or handover the rein of government to someone who attempted to pull down government.”
The Commissioner described “the deputy governor as the greatest threat to good governance in the state. “You can’t attempt to handover to people like that”, he added.
But reacting to the above statement, the Media Adviser to the Deputy Governor, Allen Sowore insisted that the Governor remained partially incapacitated and had no choice than to hand over the reins of governance to Ajayi.
Sowore also chided Akeredolu for not living up to his exalted legal profession as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“Ordinarily, one expects Mr Governor to bring to bear on governance his background as a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN). But it is rather surprising and worrisome that the Governor has chosen the part of perversion of justice, by allowing his close aides to go astray in a matter of constitutionality,” he said.
“Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is apposite in the prevailing constitutional aberration in Ondo State. On our part, we will continue to pray fervently for Mr Governor’s quickest recovery.
“However, it should be noted, that Mr Governor is at liberty to handover or not within 21 days after which the constitution becomes operational.
“Ostensibly, the refusal and failure of Mr Governor to handover the running of government to his deputy, while he is temporarily incapacitated in self- isolation, underscore his absolute disregard for our nation’s supreme document, 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the tenets of rule of law.
“The Governor’s position is a spite on the Ondo State people and a direct assault on the provisions of the constitution which he swore to uphold.
“Governor Akeredolu’s deliberate mounting of obstacles to smooth running of government machinery while he’s in self-isolation as a result of the fact that he has been tested positive for the COVID-19 privileges the hypocritical nature of Ondo State government’s war against the ravaging pandemic.”
