13th December, 2023
By Taiwo Okanlawon
The Acting Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has returned to the state two days after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
The Ondo State House of Assembly had earlier declared him as the acting governor of the state following the receipt of the letter from Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on his embarking on a medical leave.
In a statement on Wednesday in Akure, the Speaker of the House, Olamide Oladiji, said the awaited letter had arrived.
“Following doctor’s advice on the need for medical follow-up after recuperating, Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, has forwarded the letter on medical leave to the State House of Assembly,” he said in the statement.
Aiyedatiwa who had met the President and some other stakeholders over the political logjam in Ondo State, is now back in the state to resume duty as the acting governor.
The acting governor, who landed at Akure Airport in a commercial airline, was received by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Director of Corporate Affairs, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ifedayo Abegunde.
In the letter sent to the State Assembly, Akeredolu also announced that he will embark on another medical leave.
Recall that the governor’s absence had resulted in heightened political tension in the state, with calls that power should be transmitted to Aiyedatiwa in line with constitutional provisions.
Also, the development resulted in division among members of the State Executive Council, with some commissioners pitching tents with Aiyedatiwa.
It was also alleged that some officials were forging the governor’s signature.