Aso Rock Villa meeting directed “the status quo to remain” in Ondo

In a significant development, the factions involved in the political crisis in Ondo State have finally reached a truce. This breakthrough came after a crucial meeting, skillfully brokered and hosted by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

The most noteworthy aspect of their agreements is that the current political situation will be maintained in the state. However, Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been given a specific directive.

He is required to submit an undated letter of resignation to President Tinubu, ensuring that he will not disrupt the political landscape in the state while he assumes the responsibilities of running the government until Governor Rotimi Akeredolu fully recovers.

This essentially means that Mr. Aiyedatiwa will continue to hold his position and govern the state, but he will not be officially declared as the acting governor, despite Governor Akeredolu’s ongoing incapacitation.

President Tinubu took the initiative to summon various stakeholders in the state, including lawmakers, Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and party leaders, to Abuja. The aim was to defuse the tension that had arisen due to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s absence.

The meeting, which took place at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, lasted for several hours, concluding around 11 p.m. The outcome of the meeting was the decision to halt the process of removing the deputy governor from office by the state House of Assembly and to maintain the existing status quo.

A member of the state executive council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the resolutions.

The official affirmed that the deputy governor was ordered not to tamper with the structure of government and the state executive council.

“He was asked to submit an undated letter of resignation, as part of his commitment to the peace deal,” the official said.

It was also resolved that the leadership of the House of Assembly would not be changed and that state activities should continue as before the conflict.

It was further resolved that the structure of the APC in the state would remain intact.

Shedding more light on the resolutions, the spokesperson of the House of Assembly, Olatunji Oshati, said, on Saturday morning, that the rationale behind the safeguards was to allay fears of victimisation by the deputy governor of members of the executive and legislature who stood against him during the crisis.

“It was a win-win situation for the aides. The deputy governor will remain as the deputy governor. The status quo must remain,” Oshati said.

“There is no need to make the deputy governor acting governor because the state governor, who is our father, is still there.

“The deputy governor should not reshuffle the cabinet and there should be no change in the leadership of the House.”

On the undated letter of resignation, Oshati explained: “You know there were fears that the deputy governor, once reinstated, would begin to witch-hunt the others, so the president used it to allay the fears of everyone that no such thing will happen.”