• Ignore the party, Akeredolu has committed no breach, says Ondo Assembly.
• He should step aside if he doesn’t have strength to continue, say Adeniran, Akinterinwa

Political impasse caused by alleged absence of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State took a new turn, yesterday, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on the state House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against the governor.

The PDP alleged that Akeredolu has violated the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by failing to fulfil his duties as governor.

In a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kennedy Peretei, and made available to The Guardian, the party urged the state House of Assembly to invoke Section 189 (1) of the constitution by setting up a medical panel to examine Akeredolu’s medical condition and take appropriate action in the interest of the state.

Peretei, who emphasised that the state has been grappling with leadership vacuum for about six months due to the governor’s ill-health, stressed that the State Executive Council meeting had ceased to hold for a long time.

He said: “The time has come for the Ondo State House of Assembly to immediately begin the impeachment process of Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, for violation of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“It is no longer news that Ondo State has been on autopilot for nearly six months, grounding all activities of the government due to the ill health of the governor.

“Unfortunately, rather than tell the citizens the truth, most of Akeredolu’s handlers have resorted to insulting the sensibilities of the people by making a public show of their ignorance.”

The handling of Akeredolu’s condition by his aides has robbed the governor of public sympathy.”

Reacting to the call, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, said Akeredolu has been performing his constitutional duties and has not breached any aspect of the constitution.

Ogunmolasuyi said the Assembly has noted ongoing developmental projects across the state, including prompt payment of salaries and clearing of the backlog of salary arrears.

Meanwhile, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America and former minister of education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, and a former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, yesterday, urged  Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State to resign if he is not medically fit to govern the state.

The two professors made the call in telephone interviews with The Guardian.
Adeniran urged the governor to undergo medical examination to ascertain if he has the strength to continue, advising if he is not strong enough, he can step aside and continue to guide those he steps aside for.

On his part, Prof. Akinterinwa, who hails from Ondo State, said if the governor is physically handicapped, he could resign and hand over to his deputy governor.

The professor argued that indisposition of the governor should not be a hindrance to the continuity of governance.