A former deputy speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Samuel Aderoboye, tells PETER DADA his views about the move to oust the state Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa
Some of the Ondo State former lawmakers are opposing the state House of Assembly’s move to impeach the Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa. What is your position on this as a former principal of the Assembly?
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended is very clear about the issue of impeachment of the governor or the deputy governor. From my experience, if you can remember, I was in the House of Assembly from 1999 to 2023. I was the deputy speaker then and by the special grace of God, I came back again as a deputy speaker.
When you talk about the supremacy of the constitution, Section 188, sub-sections 1, 2, 3 to 5 state everything. Other former lawmakers who are opposing the Ondo State House of Assembly don’t know what they are talking about. This is a constitutional matter. It is a man-made issue. The same procedure goes for the governor, deputy governor, the speaker, the deputy speaker, the President, the Vice President, the Senate President, and the Deputy Senate President. They are major principal officers, and it has been stated there, and there’s nothing anybody can do about it. They (the Ondo State lawmakers) are following due process.
Some people are insinuating a witch-hunt against the deputy governor in this matter. How will you react to this?
It depends on the individual. The 1999 Constitution as amended is our Bible. The rules of the House are extracted from the 1999 Constitution. So, whatever is being done in the House of Assembly is basically on Section 1, subsection 1 of the 1999 Constitution.
There appears to be a disagreement between the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Are you not worried about this development?
We are not the governor; we are not in the executive arm of government. The subject matter is communication. When there is a communication breakdown, you know what it means. From my perspective, you are working under your immediate boss; you can be transferred to any department in your organisation. If you are found wanting, you can be issued a query. At the same time, you should answer the query whether you will be exonerated or indicted. So, that is the procedure.
Let me quickly remind you, (Olusegun) Obasanjo had issues with the Vice President (Atiku Abubakar), this present President (Bola Tinubu), when he was the governor. He (Tinubu) also had issues with his deputy governors. What about Ogun State, Kano, Kogi, and Ekiti states? They had issues with their deputies at one time or the other. So, those are the issues. When some people marry and they cannot go along with one another, they divorce. That is just the principle.
Why is it that many governors have issues with their deputies in Nigeria?
The scripture says look unto God, the Alpha, and finisher of your faith. It said we should run the race with patience. The scripture says we should lay aside the impediment that will not let us get to the Canaan land. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious. You can be ambitious but do not be desperate. I think that is one of the major problems. We are coming to a system where everyone wants to showcase his integrity. We should probably ask some past governors and presidents why it is so.
Are you saying it is the ambition that is causing the problem in Ondo State?
I can’t say that categorically. They said they found him (Aiyedatiwa) wanting. There are some allegations levelled against him; he should answer the query. As I said, when you are issued a query, you should answer the query. The House of Assembly had issued a letter, saying that the deputy governor should answer, but he didn’t answer it, instead, he ran to the court and the court said it doesn’t have jurisdiction over it. So, that is the problem.
You are from the Southern Senatorial District of the state where the All Progressives Congress is tilting towards picking its candidate for the 2024 governorship election. Don’t you think this development would affect the chance of your party in the forthcoming election?
We have three senatorial districts. The South Senatorial District is just one-third of them. The politicians are not up to 10 per cent of the Ondo State population. The people will determine who will be the next governor based on the aspirant’s pedigree, programmes, and relationship with the people. They will vote for whom they want to vote irrespective of the party affiliation. Is it everyone that will vote for the APC? Have you heard anything from the PDP in Ondo State? Talking about the Labour Party, where are they? By the time we get to the river, we will know how to cross it.
What do you think is the solution to this matter?
The will of God will prevail; there is nothing that is happening that God does not know about. Everything is in the hands of God. I will continue to pray for the state so that peace will reign. There is nothing impossible for God to do. We cannot compare the past with this present time; it is only God that can change the situation.
However, my advice to those in various positions is that they should make sure that loyalty is not 99.9 per cent. Commitment and dedication should be an addendum to loyalty. Loyalty should be 100 per cent and we should also believe that it is God that gives power and can also take power.
