The Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu intervened to stop his impeachment when he served as deputy governor in 2023.
Aiyedatiwa disclosed this during a media chat with selected journalists on Friday, where he also commended the President for what he described as timely intervention during the political crisis in the state.
According to the governor, the entire Ondo State House of Assembly had initially signed for his impeachment before the intervention.
Aiyedatiwa said, “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 it 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.”
Aiyedatiwa also said the late former governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu, had publicly endorsed him as his successor on several occasions.
He recalled that Akeredolu made the declaration during their inauguration on February 24, 2021.
The Governor said, “Those who were in the cabinet at the time knew for a fact that my late principal endorsed me on the day of our inauguration on February 24, 2021, when he made an open declaration which is still documented till today.
“While he was interpreting my name, he said I was going to move on from deputy governor.”
Explaining the remark, he added, “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 import of that statement.”
Aiyedatiwa said the political crisis in the state intensified when Akeredolu became seriously ill, creating 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.
He added that some political actors saw the situation as an opportunity to remove him from office.
“In politics, it is all about interest. Some other persons were eyeing that office,” he said.
The Ondo State House of Assembly had served an impeachment notice on Aiyedatiwa in September 2023 over allegations of gross misconduct.
Following the death of Governor Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as governor to complete the remainder of the administration’s tenure.
He was subsequently elected governor in the 2024 governorship election in the state.
