Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa ‘embrace peace’ as Tinubu wades into rift

President Bola Tinubu has waded into the rift between Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, and Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his deputy.

Tinubu on Friday night met with Aiyedatiwa, members of the Ondo house of assembly, and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for more than five hours in Aso Rock.

The governor was absent.

Akeredolu, who has been locked in a cold war with his deputy, returned to Nigeria in the first week of September after a three-month medical leave in Germany.

Since his return, there have been attempts by the house of assembly to impeach Aiyedatiwa.

After the meeting with the president, the deputy governor of Ondo said he has put everything behind him and that all that has happened is “politics”.

“And I want to say that no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics,” Aiyedatiwa said.

“Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I have survived it and every other thing is in the 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.”

Aiyedatiwa promised to carry all Ondo commissioners along as he deputises Akeredolu in running the state.

Also speaking, Oladiji Olamide, speaker of Ondo assembly, said they have all agreed to maintain “status quo” by not going ahead with impeachment proceedings against Aiyedatiwa.

“Our resolution is that one, we shall embrace peace,” Olamide said.

“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.”