Covid19
Showdown As Deputy Gives Ailing Ondo Gov Deadline
Gov Must Come Out Of Isolation Or Handover By July 21
Political gladiators in Ondo State were at the weekend set for a showdown after the ailing governor of the state, Olurotimi Akeredolu was given a 21-day notice to hand over the affairs of the state to his estranged deputy, Agboola Ajayi.
Akeredolu who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and immediately moved into self-isolation on June 30 had through the commissioner for information, Donald Ojogo vowed not to handover the reins of government to his estranged deputy, Ajayi.
Ajayi had recently defected from the governor’s All Progressives Congress, APC and is battling for the governorship ticket of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The deputy governor who has wished Akeredolu well and speedy recovery has, however, taken exception to the assertion that the governor would bye-pass him while in isolation.
Responding through his spokesman, Allen Sowore, on Saturday, the deputy governor said it was not in the governor’s position to choose not to handover.
Noting the provisions of Section 190 of the constitution, the deputy governor said the governor was mandated to handover or the deputy automatically becomes acting governor within 21 days.
Sowore said, “Refusal and failure of Mr Governor to hand over the running of government to his deputy while in self-isolation and temporarily incapacitated would underscore his absolute disregard for the rule of law, spite on the people and a direct assault on the provisions of the constitution, which he swore to uphold.
“Not only that, his deliberate obstacles to ensure that government continues to run while he’s in self-isolation as a result of the fact that he has tested positive for COVID-19 puts lip service to his hypocritical war against the ravaging pandemic.
“Our candid advice is that the energy dissipated to pull down the office and person of the Deputy Governor should be channelled towards resolving the lingering crisis in the health sector, particularly the current strike embarked on by medical practitioners in the state in the middle of this pandemic.”
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