‘Drama around Akeredolu’s health avoidable’ — Aiyedatiwa assumes office as acting governor

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, acting governor of Ondo, says the drama that ensued in the state over the health of Rotimi Akeredolu was “avoidable”.

Aiyedatiwa spoke during a state broadcast on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Ondo house of assembly finally declared Aiyedatiwa as the acting governor of the state.

The assembly took the decision after it received the medical leave notification letter from Akeredolu, the state governor.

Over the past few weeks, there has been pressure on Akeredolu to resign or hand over power to his deputy amid his continued absence from the state.

Akeredolu has been absent from Ondo since June on health grounds.

Speaking during the broadcast, Aiyedatiwa said the state must return quickly to the path of development after the “avoidable distractions” caused by the governor’s health challenges.

The acting governor urged the people of the state not to relent in their prayers for the ailing governor.

“At this juncture, permit me to say that only God Almighty has explanations for what happened in the last few months,” Aiyedatiwa said.

“When nature sets in to hinder human performance, it is always a painful thing.

“We must acknowledge that the key to the wellbeing of a man is in the hands of God.

“It is not for us as humans to question God but to pray for His mercies upon our lives.

“It is in this regard that we admit with all sense of responsibility that the intrigues that ensued due to Mr Governor’s health challenges were indeed avoidable distractions.

“We ought to have done better so as to keep giving Ondo state the seamless and solid governance which Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, CON, had established in the state in the last six-and-a-half years.”

Aiyedatiwa commended President Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) “for providing succour to Ondo state at our critical time of cloud and need”.