A legal practitioner and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Mr Sola Ajisafe, has warned the state acting governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, against reshuffling the cabinet of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Aiyedatiwa became the acting governor of the state after Governor Akeredolu returned to Germany for another medical vacation and transmitted power to him in an acting capacity last week.
Ajisafe, who spoke on a radio programme in Akure, the state capital, on Wednesday, said there was an indication that Aiyedatiwa was planning to reshuffle the State Executive Council to favour his supporters in the government but warned him against such planned action.
According to the APC chieftain, such action would be contrary to the agreement reached with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the peace meeting held in Abuja with the gladiators.
He said, “Section 190 of the Constitution doesn’t give the deputy governor the power to reshuffle the cabinet. The section gives the acting governor the right to act on behalf of the governor and not to override the decisions of the governor. There can’t be two governors at the same time.”
The legal practitioner stated that the first time President Tinubu summoned the gladiators to Abuja, there was no effort on the part of the acting governor as the leader of the state to reconcile all warring factions, rather some “non-state actors were protesting to demand the resignation of Governor Akeredolu.”
Ajisafe said, “These (non-state actors) are the people who are not seen when they are needed but always come when their services are needed.
“When Owo was attacked, they were not seen. During COVID-19, they were nowhere to be found. When herdsmen were on the prowl, they kept quiet. During the ENDSARS protests, they did not protest. They only came when they had an agenda to push.
“When they returned from Abuja the second term and Aiyedatiwa was made the Acting Governor, these people said Akeredolu was incapacitated and that he should relinquish the seat.
“Section 189 of the constitution talked about permanent incapacitation, not as freely being used by these people. These are the people who are pushing an agenda capable of rocking the boat of progress in Ondo State.”
