More troubles for Ondo Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa as impeachment plot thickens

All is not well for Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa as plans to impeach him by the Ondo State House of Assembly thicken.

News of Aiyedatiwa’s planned impeachment first surfaced last week as the ninth session of the Ondo State House of Assembly was winding up. Information at the disposal of WesternPost, showed that the assembly had planned to make the deputy governor’s impeachment their last official assignment but for the crisis which erupted thereafter.

The No. 2 man had been facing impeachment threats since the health status of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu leaked to the public after an online medium, Sahara Reporters, reported that the governor was incapacitated and unable to perform state functions.

Rumours of the governor’s death also surfaced days after the Sahara Reporters story.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, however came out to deny this in a press statement, saying that the governor was hail and hearty.

“Though the governor has been indisposed, he has been attending to state matters and delegating functions to functionaries of the government, when necessary.

“We enjoin the members of the public to ignore the rumour. Aketi is very much alive,” the statement said.

While all of these had been going on, the governor has not been seen in the public since May 17, missing the swearing in of President Bola Tinubu on May 29 and the meeting of the Progressives Governors’ Forum.

Akeredolu was also conspicuously absent when the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors met with Tinubu last week and the meeting of the 36 states governors with the president on Wednesday.

While Akeredolu’s whereabouts continues to be unknown, WesternPost gathered that the plot to impeach the deputy governor continues to gain grounds, being marshalled by a member of the first family.

Last week, a group, Society for Women Empowerment (SWE), accused Aiyedatiwa of domestic abuse against his wife Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa.

“It is shocking to discover that the deputy governor assaulted his wife severely to the point that the wife had to escape to the United Kingdom to save her life.

“The deputy governor has broken moral decorum and acted in a manner that brings his office into disrepute. We are, to say the least, disappointed with this embarrassing conduct,” the group said in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Damilola Charles.

Although Aiyedatiwa has come out to deny the allegations, the group has insisted it would release more documents to back up its claims.

In another twist, two different statements were purportedly released by Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa both confirming and denying the allegations.

“I have come across numerous comments regarding the statement released by the Women Group, the Society for Women Empowerment (SWE). Although I cannot ascertain the existence of the group or the true intentions behind the story, I feel it is important to express my pain for the sake of other women,” the statement purportedly from Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa said, detailing times when she was assaulted.

Hours later, another statement from her denying the first statement surfaced.

“I wish to state categorically that this is a lie from the pit of hell. I do not know the group behind this falsehood and I have never, either directly or indirectly, given anyone authorisation to speak on my behalf.

“I do not know where this story came from and I want to tell members of the public to disregard it because it is nothing but a lie fabricated by our enemies to dent the image of my husband and drag our family in the mud for political reasons.

“The purported statement sent out today with my name as the author, detailing what they said were incidents between me and my husband, also did not emanate from me. It is a known fact that once in a blue moon, misunderstanding which is common to every marriage happens,” the other statement read.

A source familiar with the situation who spoke with WesternPost, said while the news about the alleged domestic abuse might not be totally wrong, the story breaking to the public is for political gains after the deputy governor played into the first lady Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu’s hands.

The first lady, the source said was the one who brought Aiyedatiwa to become Akeredolu’s deputy and was known to have been settling disputes between Aiyedatiwa and his wife before now, who Oluwaseun see as “big mummy”.

Another source also told WesternPost that the new House of Assembly which was inaugurated on Sunday has been given one mandate which is to impeach Aiyedatiwa.

“Aiyedatiwa will not survive this onslaught, as the powers that be really want him out. Although he became deputy governor through the influence of the first lady, they now see him as a snitch after the Sahara Reporters story broke,” the source told WesternPost.