DESPITE the crisis within All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, weekend, said the reconciliation committee led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has no business in the state, saying Ondo is at peace and does not need any troubleshooter.
His submission, however, did not go down well with an aggrieved party member in the state, who said the governor is afraid of his own shadow and is vindictive. Governor Akeredolu’s position was made known during a programme tagged Meet the Governor, which was part of the governor’s first year anniversary celebration.Asked to comment on the reconciliation moves led by Tinubu, the governor declared that the former governor “has no business coming to Ondo State since there was no crisis.” Governor Akeredolu said: “All is well with APC in Ondo State; we are waxing stronger. Olusola Oke has just returned to stay longer, so Asiwaju Tinubu has no reason to come here.”
“Where there is peace, you don’t need a peacemaker so you don’t create more problems. The Presidential reconciliation committee is not needed here in Ondo State; there is peace in Ondo APC.”
Opposes LG autonomy Opposing the agitation for local government autonomy, Akeredolu said: “On local government autonomy, I campaigned and I have not forgotten what I said about local government autonomy; there was not a time that I spoke about supporting local government autonomy.
“I am a lawyer and I know what is called federating units of a federal government. Nigeria cannot be the only place where we would bastardise the institutions. We copy something and make it totally dysfunctional.” Akeredolu explained that there cannot be three federating units in a federation, but two and that there was no need agitating for autonomy for the local government. His words:
“Federation is made of a federal unit and a federating unit. There are no three federating units in any federation. The federal unit is the Federal Government and other federating units are states. “There is no way I will stand anywhere and put my weight behind local government autonomy.
I am never in support local government autonomy, I never said so.” Reaction An aide to the factional state chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, said: “Governor Akeredolu is afraid of his shadow.” The aide, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard that “the governor should come down from his high horse and carry everybody along and stop nursing the wounds of over one year. “He will do the party and state good by showing some level of maturity, which his office deserves and stop being vindictive.”
