The indigenes, who said they did not blame Governor Akeredolu for his ill-health, however, reminded the CJ that since two months that Akeredolu returned from medical treatment - in September 2023, he has not hosted the state executive council and had failed to do the same thing he asked late President Musa Yar’Adua to do in 2010.
Some notable indigenes of Ondo State representing several local government areas of the state have written to the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayedun Olusegun Odusola, to exercise his powers as the leader of the third arm of government, to compel the Ondo State Executive Council to act in line with Section 189 of the Constitution to determine Governor Rotimi Akeredolu's capacity to continue to govern the state.
The indigenes including human rights activist, and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the last general elections, Omoyele Sowore, also demanded that the CJ should request that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly constitute a medical panel to ascertain Akeredolu’s capacity to govern.
The Ondo State indigenes in the letter dated November 27, 2023, titled: "RE: THE UNCONSCIONABLE PARALYSIS OF GOVERNANCE IN ONDO STATE," stated that they are gravely concerned about the lack of governance in Ondo State despite the law of the land having provided solutions to remedy such situations.
The indigenes, who said they did not blame Governor Akeredolu for his ill-health, however, reminded the CJ that since two months that Akeredolu returned from medical treatment - in September 2023, he has not hosted the state executive council and had failed to do the same thing he asked late President Musa Yar’Adua to do in 2010.
According to them, Akeredolu had stated during Yar'Adua's sickness, “The prayer of the association is that the President should recover fast, return to his office, and resign. No matter how much you love your country, it should not be to the detriment of your health.
"It is not your party or your wife that will decide whether you are capable of handling state matters; it is only your doctors that can decide that. The bar is not asking the President not to come back and take his seat, but the right thing must be done.”
Noting that since the ailing governor has failed to act accordingly, they therefore called on the Chief Judge of to act immediately to forestall further crisis in the state by ensuring that law of the land was observed as per Section 189 of the 1999 Constitution (As Ammended).
The letter partly read: "Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has been ill for most of his 2nd term since he was sworn into office on February 24, 2021. This year, he embarked on a well-documented medical leave, handing over executive powers to his Deputy Governor on June 7.
"He returned on September 7 and promptly wrote to the State House of Assembly informing them of his return. However, due to his ill health and the poor state of public health facilities in Akure, he has been forced to stay in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to access the care he needs.
"Any human being can be sick at any point in time and it is certainly not Mr Akeredolu’s wish for his body to have failed him in this manner. In the words of Thomas Fuller, “Health is not valued till sickness comes.”
"Therefore, the issue is not that Mr Akeredolu is ill, but that governance has been completely paralysed, gravely impacting the quality of life of approximately 5.3 million residents in the process.
"Furthermore, the leadership he assembled to govern the state has shown a clear inability to step in and provide much-needed leadership of the state in his absence.
“Whereas: "1) The Ondo State Executive Council (EXCO) has not met properly since Monday, August 14, 2023 when Mr Akeredolu was still on sick leave. Therefore, the Ondo State EXCO has not met since he returned to the country in September.
"2) The said Ondo State EXCO has failed to carry out its responsibility to the Ondo State people as clearly stated in Section 189 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
"3) The Ondo State House of Assembly, as an independent arm of government that is mandated to provide oversight on the executive arm of government, has also failed to take decisive action on this matter.
"In light of this, we call on your Lordship to act in your capacity as the leader of the third arm of government, with independent powers to enforce the law of the land to compel the Ondo State EXCO to act in line with Section 189 of the Constitution and request that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly constitute a medical panel to ascertain Mr Akeredolu’s capacity to govern.
"We have given Mr Akeredolu two months since his return in September 2023, to do the same thing he asked former President Yar’Adua to do in 2010."
The letter was signed by "Gbenga Sesan from Ifedore LGA, Yemi Adamolekun from Akure North LGA, Ademola Adesida from Akure South, Feyi Fawehinmi from Ondo West, Japhet J Omojuwa from Ilaje LGA, Kayode Ogundamisi from Akoko North-East LGA, Omokunbi Adeoti (Mrs) from Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo LGA, Omolara Gbonigi from Akoko North-East LGA and Omoyele Sowore from Ese-Odo LGA."