Gov Akeredolu, Deputy trade tackles over ‘the hand over challenge’.
– Steve Ovirih.
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu has insisted for the upteent time that he is not disposed to handing over the reins of government to his Deputy Governor, Hon. Alfred Agboola Ajayi, noting that there is no vacuum whatsoever in the administration of the state as he is capable of running the state from self isolation.
It will be recalled that the Ondo State Governor in a broadcast on Tuesday had announced that he had contracted coronavirus and would be going into self isolation, stressing that he is asymptomatic.
This development had generated sympathy for the Governor as the citizenry had called out for prayers over the well-being of the Ondo State Chief Executive.
More worrisome was the news of the death of the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, whose painful demise occurred on Thursday, throwing the state into mourning mood.
In the light of the health challenge of the state governor, power is expected to be transmitted by the Governor to his Deputy who , according to the Constitution, is expected to hold the fort until the Governor is healthy enough to return to his executive beat. However, as political exigencies would have it, the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi has jumped boat and defected to the opposition party, Peoples Democratic party (PDP), while holding tight to the seat of the Deputy Governor, which was conferred on him on the joint ticket of All Progressives Congress (APC) together with his Principal and now his enstranged boss, Gov. Akeredolu.
The Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi had insisted that no section of the Constitution recommended his resignation for defecting to the party from which he generated the mandate to be so designated as Deputy Governor. Barr. Alfred Agboola in a press statement released through his Media Adviser, Allen Sowore, said Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has until 21 days to hand over power to him , failure upon which he will press the dictates of the 1999 Constitution to assume power as the Acting Governor.
The statement wished the Governor a quick recovery from the coronavirus infection, but pleaded with the Governor not to throw the state into a constitutional crisis by insisting that he will not handover to him.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in his bid to ensure the wheels of government runs smoothly even while away in self isolation has appointed the special adviser on health, Dr. Jibayo Adeleye to oversee the health ministry, while the Vice Chancellor , University of Medical Sciences (Unimed) Ondo, Prof Fatusin has been appointed to chair the state Special task force on COVID 19. The Governor whose health is looking up and improving at the special home monitored self isolation has assured the good people of Ondo State that there is nothing to fret about concerning his health and has shown his capability to attend even with steadfastness to matters of the state with presence of mind. He noted that there is a moral burden in allowing a persona who has defected from an administration they jointly govern to act on his behalf, stressing that what is left for the Deputy Governor if he has a moral compass is to hand over his resignation papers and faced his guber ambition from the opposition PDP with concentration rather than mixing up politics with the more serious concern of administering the state.
