Ondo crisis: Tinubu brokers deal, says Akeredolu remains governor, Aiyedatiwa deputy

In his bid to restore political stability in Ondo State, President Bola Tinubu, late on Friday, intervened in the months-long imbroglio between factions loyal to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

This followed marathon negotiations between the President and the Deputy Governor, representatives of Governor Akeredolu, federal and state lawmakers of Ondo, officials of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other stakeholders in the state at the State House, Abuja.

The months-long crisis may have ended as the Presidency declared that Akeredolu remains the governor of the state, according to a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Saturday.

The elucidation became necessary amidst reports that President Bola Tinubu may have ordered the state lawmakers to invoke the doctrine of necessity and declare Ayedatiwa the acting governor.

The statement read in part, “The President advised all opposing parties to bury the hatchet and embrace peace, eliciting commitments to this effect.

“This means that Governor Akeredolu remains the Chief Executive of the State, Aiyedatiwa remains Deputy Governor, and members of the State Executive Council continue their respective duties, even as the leadership of the State’s House of Assembly and the APC Chapter in Ondo State is preserved.”