Ondo Politics: Tinubu Shuts Akeredolu’s Wife, Son Out Of Meeting, Lawmakers Set To Impose Doctrine Of Necessity To Confirm Aiyedatiwa As Governor

The deliberate move by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resolve the political impasse in Ondo State may soon be yielding an expected result considering the resolution of the State House of Assembly members, Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Members of the State Executive Council to work together as one big family.

Tinubu had invited the two arms of the state government to Aso Rock on Friday to deliberate and find an amicable way of resolving the political crisis rocking the state. While all the invitees were in attendance, Akeredolu’s wife, Betty Anyanwu and his son, Babajide both of who have indirectly clichéd to power and controlled the affairs of the state in the absence of the governor were shut out of the meeting.

According to sources, the wife of the ailing governor and his son who were at the Villa for the meeting were not allowed entrance into the venue where the critical decision was taken.

The meeting was coming on the heels of concerns raised by Yoruba leaders three days ago, calling on the president to intervene in the state political situation.

It was resolved at the meeting that all the parties should work together and put the plight of the state and its people ahead of politics.

Akeredolu, who returned from Germany on September 7, has not been in the state since his return. He is in his private residence in Ibadan, where he is said to be recuperating.

With the resolution in Abuja, Ondo State House of Assembly may reconvene on Monday to invoke the doctrine of necessity to proclaim Aiyedatiwa with full powers to govern the state.

“The doctrine of necessity is the basis on which extraordinary actions by administrative authority, which are designed to restore order or uphold fundamental constitutional principles, are considered to be lawful even if such an action contravenes established constitution, laws, norms, or conventions.”

This doctrine became popular in Nigeria in 2010 during a logjam created by the long absence of former Umar Yar’Adua from the country over his health status and the deliberate actions of some members of his cabinet to sideline Dr Goodluck Jonathan from being installed as the Acting President.

The ailing Yar’dua was hospitalised in Saudi Arabia and was unable to formally transfer the instrument of office to his deputy.

The National Assembly intervened by invoking the doctrine of necessity to proclaim Goodluck Jonathan as acting president without recourse to constitutional niceties that require such a proclamation to be done by the ailing president.

This resulted in speedy restoration of normalcy and order that enabled Nigeria to make progress in managing state affairs.

President Tinubu, had been worried over the political development in the state following the long absence of Akeredolu from the state and the power play that had divided commissioners and lawmakers in the state.

Apart from the President and other key officers of the presidency, national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje; Aiyedatiwa, Ondo State Secretary to the Government (SSG) Oladuni Odu; former national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande; Chief Patrick Ayo Akinyelure, the state commissioner of finance Wale Akinrinwa; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji; APC chairman in the state, Ade Adetimehin and some members of the National Assembly from the state attended the meeting.