At long last, hopes of an amicable solution to the lingering dispute between the Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, brightened on Thursday, as the latter apologized to his principal over the resultant tension prevailing in the state.
The dispute culminated in allegations leveled against the deputy governor by the state’s House of Assembly, which moved to impeach him, and the consequential court cases that are pending both in Akure and Abuja.
Disturbed by the wrangling, close to the next governorship election year in the state, the leadership of the Ibrahim Ganduje-led ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, stepped in and raised a committee to resolve the dispute politically.
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Already, the committee, which is billed to meet the governor and the deputy governor separately, has met several interest groups within the party in the state towards accomplishing its mandate.
Aiyedatiwa apologised to Akeredolu at a press briefing in Akure,the state capital on Thursday, where he also lamented the embarrassment and discomfort the governor has faced from the barrage of negative news about the state in the last few months.
Besides, he pledged his loyalty to the governor and commitment to the development of the State, as he stressed the need to calm all nerves in order to restore peace and tranquility to the Sunshine State.
In his words: “I am profoundly grateful to Mr. Governor for his intervention and role in persuading the distinguished members of the Ondo State House of Assembly to embrace the political solution offered by our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the face of an impeachment move against me.
“Our beloved state has witnessed a series of events triggered by the health challenges faced by Mr. Governor, which gave rise to misunderstandings, misconceptions, assumptions, and insinuations, and exploited by political contenders preparing for the upcoming 2024 gubernatorial election.
“The recent impeachment attempt by the House of Assembly and the ensuing reactions have further created division and chaos, with my loyalty to Mr. Governor being questioned.
“It is in reference to the above that I hereby tender my unreserved apologies to Mr. Governor and the good people of Ondo state, and I assure that, together, we will both complete this journey with honour, divine guidance and in good health by the grace of God.”
Debunking all the allegations being peddled against him by those desperate to get rid of him from government ahead of the next election, he said he will continue to maintain decorum in the face of those false and baseless accusations.
Aiyedayiwa said: “We have continued to read all sorts of lies against my person in the media. None of it is true.
“There has never been any issue between Mr. Governor and myself and I have never undermined Mr. Governor. This is a fabricated crisis just for the purpose of election.
“I remain fully committed to the principles of good governance that Mr. Governor has established, and I pledge my unwavering loyalty to him and I will continue to submit myself under his able, courageous and selfless leadership.”
Allso, he distanced himself from groups and individuals holding protests or calling on the Governor to resign, stressing that he has never commissioned any individual or group to engage in such campaigns.
The deputy Governor thanked the national leadership of the APC for its intervention in the impeachment move against him, pledging his commitment to the reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring peace in the state.
According to him: “I have a lot of respect for the Speaker and members of the House of Assembly and members of the State Executive Council and I do not hold any grudge.”
He said: ” I want to appeal to all the political actors in the State to allow peace so we can all concentrate on the development of our dear State”.
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