The Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, during a live interview on Arise News Television on Friday morning insisted that Governor Akeredolu was not incapacitated; hence, there was no need for him to resign.
Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has called on the Ondo State House of Assembly to invoke the relevant constitutional provisions to impeach the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN on grounds of ill health.
SaharaReporters has in several reports highlighted the controversy surrounding the governor's health status. The ailing governor has remained in his residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, since his return from Germany in September after three months of medical leave.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, during a live interview on Arise News Television on Friday morning insisted that Governor Akeredolu was not incapacitated; hence, there was no need for him to resign.
However, Adeyanju in a statement on Monday said impeachment is the most reasonable and legal step to take at this time for the state to move forward since the governor has refused to resign.
He recalled that about a decade ago, when President Umaru Yar-Adua was bedridden, one of the bodies that strenuously called for the resignation of the then-president was the Nigeria Bar Association which was led by the now-ailing Governor Akeredolu.
Adeyanju explained that simple constitutional provision has not been obeyed in Ondo State, adding that the state, like its governor, has been incapacitated without a leader to direct its affairs.
He said, "For the past few months, the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN has reportedly taken residence in Ibadan, Oyo State, on grounds of ill health, after he had previously spent several months overseas on medical vacation.
"While it is normal for all mortals to sometimes fall ill, what is, however, not normal is for governance to come to a halt because one man is medically incapacitated.
"Sadly, this is what is currently going on in Ondo State, with accusations and counter-accusations of the Governor being incapacitated and unable to even sign official documents. Just recently, a serving commissioner in Ondo State publicly accused officials of forging the Governor’s signature!
"It will be recalled that about a decade ago, governance and economic activities came to a halt in Nigeria while President Yar-Adua was bedridden. Ironically, one of the bodies that strenuously called for the resignation of the then-president was the Nigeria Bar Association led by the now-ailing Governor Akeredolu.
"Like Akeredolu, Yar-Adua and his handlers, for whatever reasons best known to them did not trust the deputy enough to hand over to him, necessitating the doctrine of necessity and an emergency constitutional amendment by the National Assembly to the effect that when a President or Governor is unable to discharge his functions after 21 days, power is automatically transmitted to the Vice President or Deputy Governor in acting capacity.
"Unfortunately, this simple constitutional provision has not been obeyed in Ondo State, and the State, like its Governor, has been effectively left in comatose, without a head to direct its affairs.
“Understandably, the Governor’s appointed exco, though divided, has not been able to muster the necessary courage of Dora Akunyili of blessed memory, to invoke the necessary constitutional provisions and cause an investigation into the governor’s health, with a view to declaring him medically incapacitated.
"I am, therefore, compelled to call on the Ondo State House of Assembly to invoke the relevant constitutional provisions to carry out their sacred but urgently needed duty of impeaching the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN.”
"This is the most reasonable and legal step to take at this time, in order for the state to move forward since the Governor has refused to resign. I pray that the members of the Ondo State House of Assembly heed this call to duty and do what is right by the Constitution and the good people of Ondo State," the statement added.