ONDO DEPUTY GOVERNOR: Nomination From Ondo North Will Pave The Way For Central In 2025
Let me crop up by joining the Government and the citizens of Ondo State, the Federal Government of Nigeria, NBA, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the APC family, and friends of Akeredolu to register my sincere condolences to the immediate family of Akeredolu over the demise of Arakunrin Odunayo Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,(AKET) SAN, CON, former Governor of Ondo State – my prayers and thoughts are with the family at this grieving moment. The death of Arakunrin was a big blow to us and a monumental loss to our democracy.
There is no doubt that the emergence of Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa as the substantive Governor of Ondo State in line with section 191(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended over the demise of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, CON has ostensibly created a political vacuum to the office of the Deputy Governor – which constitutionally must be occupied by someone as enriched in subsection (3)(c) “for any other reason, the Governor shall nominate and with the approval of the House of Assembly of the State, appoint a new Deputy Governor” under the above-cited section,191.
If we are to maintain our political rotation status quo in Ondo State as we have stuck to it since 1999, the seat of the Deputy Governor must go to the Central because anytime we have a Governor from the South the deputy governor must come from the Central.
It will be noted that in 2020, Late Akeredolu and Governor Aiyedatiwa were both elected on a joint ticket to steer the affairs and leadership of the State in an administration that will end by February 2025. Many people have opined that the administration that started in 2020 is still on despite the leadership change over the demise of Arakunrin which has veered the Governorship seat from the North to the Southern part of the State.
There have been mixed political retorts that Governor Aiyedatiwa should pick his deputy from the North where the former Governor hail from as a way of compensating the zone and in continuation of the administration that was elected in 2020 while some harped on the need for Mr. Governor to stick to be rotation status quo that has been existing in the State since 1999.
It is a common elementary political knowledge in Ondo State that nobody can fault that anytime we have a Governor from the South, the deputy Governor must come from the Central and the Speaker from the North which is not pristine to anybody or political party in the State – the same way the State had it when former late Governor Olusegun Agagu was in power from 2003 to 2009.
Ostensibly, the choice of who becomes the next Deputy Governor or zone the seat should go to is an arduous task and solely within the prerogative power of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in line with section 191(3)(c) of the 1999 constitution as amended; to let the balance from 2020 remain by picking the Deputy from the North.
It is incontrovertible that if Mr Governor should pick his Deputy from the Central, without any political or constitutional interpretation the Speakership seat will automatically shift to the North, and the current Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji will lose the seat and become an honourable member of the House.
The nomination of the next Deputy Governor from the North, Owo to be precise is a welcome development by Mr Governor, knowing full well that the administration that started in 2020 of Akeredolu/Lucky ticket is still very much on – and the decision of Mr Governor to pick from the North is a clear indication to hold the principle of the ticket.
It is a must for the State to have a Deputy Governor, according to section 186 of the 1999 constitution which says: “There shall be for each State of the Federation a Deputy Governor”.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa must pick a Deputy who understands the civil service administration system, an administrator per excellence, someone who is politically not over ambitious – who truly will complement his effort in repositioning the State on the right promenade; and am of the view the current choice by Mr Governor process these qualities.
It is imperative to let people understand that the choice of Mr Governor to go back to the North to pick a deputy will not in any way jeopardize the chance of the Central to produce the next deputy Governor of the State in 2025.
It is irrefutable that whoever wins the APC governorship ticket primary in April must pick his ruining mate from the Central – in line with our fundamental principle of zoning which nobody can disparage.
Since the creation of Ondo State, this will be the first time that a Governor will die in Office and transition within a government.
By: Sam Olorunfemi Jr
