The Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has unveiled how President Bola Tinubu’s intervention saved him from impeachment when he served as deputy governor in 2023.
Aiyedatiwa made said this during a media briefing with selected journalists on Friday, praising the President for what he described as timely action that helped resolve the political crisis in the state.
He disclosed that the entire Ondo State House of Assembly had initially signed for his impeachment before Tinubu’s intervention.
“Not even 25. The entire 26 assembly members signed for my impeachment. All of them. But I survived it. To cut the story short, I survived eventually with the intervention of Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want to use this opportunity to thank him for being a good leader to our country. He intervened at that time, and we were able to put the house in order,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa also rehearsed that the late former governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu, had publicly endorsed him as his successor on several occasions, including during their inauguration on February 24, 2021.
“Those in the cabinet at the time knew that my late principal endorsed me on the day of our inauguration, February 24, 2021, with an open declaration that is still documented today. While interpreting my name, he said I was going to move on from deputy governor,” Aiyedatiwa explained.
He clarified the meaning of the remark, noting,
“If you are going to move on from deputy governor, you won’t go back to commissioner. You are going to move to become a governor. That is the important of that statement.”
The governor said the political crisis escalated when Akeredolu fell seriously ill, causing divisions within the ruling party and government.
“When they heard that the governor was ill, there were all kinds of voices. There was division. That was when the party was divided,” he said, adding that some political actors saw it as an opportunity to remove him from office.
The Ondo State House of Assembly had issued an impeachment notice against Aiyedatiwa in September 2023 over allegations of gross misconduct.
Following Akeredolu’s death, Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as governor to complete the remainder of the administration’s tenure and was subsequently elected governor in the 2024 governorship election.
