A chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Seinde Arogbofa, has expressed concerns over the resolutions reached on Friday at a meeting held by President Bola Tinubu with factions in the Ondo State political crisis.
On the resolution of the meeting against declaring Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as acting governor, Arogbofa warned that there could be a further crisis if there is no one from whom authority issues in the state government.
The six-hour meeting which was held at the Aso Rock Villa on Friday, also ordered the state lawmakers to shelve their stalled move to remove the deputy governor from office, and that the current party and cabinet structures are not tampered with.
“If the governor is in place, there is no need for an acting governor; but if the governor is not in place, there is a need for someone who has the authority to carry the task of governance,” said Arogbofa, adding that “If there is no one with that authority, then it will be like an animal kingdom.”
He, however, noted that the concern of Afenifere and other leaders in the state is for peace to reign in Ondo State.
He said the group would consider the items on the resolution of the meeting with the President and issue a formal statement after a meeting of its elders.
Afenifere had, on Tuesday, called on President Tinubu and the APC national leadership to wade into the Ondo crisis, noting that the state government was in disarray.
On its part, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state said the president failed to resolve the issues brought before him.
The party’s spokesperson, Kennedy Peretei, said with the pending issues, the two factions will remain in dispute.
“It is a situation of 1-1 draw, the Aiyedatiwa group wanted the deputy governor to be made acting governor, and the Akinteriwa-led group wanted the deputy governor impeached.
“There is no difference between what is done now and what the Masari-led peace committee (of the APC) did – just appealed to them to sheathe their swords. The only difference now is that the president did the talking.
“That the deputy governor will not be impeached anymore appears to be the soft landing for him and perhaps the only thing achieved in the meeting.
“But the issues of the state still remain. The cabal will still be using the name of the governor to steal.
“Since August, the leadership of the local governments in the state were dissolved and nothing has happened since then. Is that how to run a state, is that what the Ondo people want?
“For me, it is inconclusive, and that is because the issue at stake is the 2024 governorship election and unless a clear-cut decision is taken, the problems will remain.”
Meanwhile, Aiyedatiwa, while speaking on the resolutions after the meeting, said he would ensure that what happened in the recent past was left in the past.
He pledged to carry on with the affairs of the state and called on all commissioners and officials to be on the same page with him in handling the state’s affairs.
“I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go and also let God, just as the President has advised us,” Aiyedatiwa said.
“And I want to say that no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I’ve survived it and every other thing in his past.
“It is one big family and our father has intervened to bring all the children together to remain under the same family and with the position that I occupy, I will carry every one of you along in every decision that needs to be taken and everything that we do we will work together; the executive and the legislature will work together to ensure that governance is on the right track.
“We should respect one another regarding the offices we occupy and our age differences. So, it’s going to be mutual respect.
“And I want to assure the party structure that we will work together because the party is supreme. We will always give you the due respect.”
Also, in his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Olamide Oladiji, provided the details of the resolutions.
“Our resolution is that one, we shall embrace peace. Secondly, there would be no more dissolution of the cabinet and the Deputy Governor would maintain the status quo as far as the House of Assembly leadership is concerned.
“We will maintain the status quo as far as the party leadership in the state is concerned and maintain the status quo as far as the leadership of the State House of Assembly is concerned,” Oladiji said.
Related to the development, President Tinubu has directed the police to withdraw from the premises of the Ondo State House of Assembly in Akure.
The police deployed officers to the complex following speculation that some lawmakers planned to meet Friday morning to declare Governor Akeredolu incapacitated and Aiyedatiwa as acting governor.