…urges Ondo gov to respect constitution, rule of law
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, has declared that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu must hand over reins of governance in the state to him if he remains in self-isolation after 21 days.
Ajayi said Akeredolu must respect the constitution by handing over power to him, irrespective of their political differences.
The Ondo governor went into self-isolation after he was confirmed positive for COVID-19 last week.
But Akeredolu through his Commissioner for Information, Mr Donald Ojogo, on Friday, said the governor would not hand over to his deputy, who recently resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
Ajayi, however, said on Saturday through his media aide, Mr Allen Sowore, that although he had been praying for Akeredolu’s recovery, the governor must respect the constitution and hand over power to him in the current circumstances.
The deputy governor’s media aide, who quoted Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), argued that the constitution was apposite in “these circumstances.”
He emphasised that the constitution must be obeyed after 21 days.
The deputy governor’s media aide 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.”
