BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
An African Ifa priest, Olupelumi Fagboyegun, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently wade into the raging political war between Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa in order to prevent bloodshed in the state.
Fagboyegun, an Owo- born Ifa priest and the founder of Isese Life Ministry, Diaspora, noted that some “faceless bandits” in the Nigerian Army were plotting to take advantage of the political crisis to cause catastrophe that would pave way for the truncation of the third republic.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo on Tuesday, the cleric said the political crisis, if not well addressed, may lead to bloodshed and total breakdown of law and order in the state.
He stressed that amicable resolution of the feud between the governor and Aiyedatiwa was necessary so as to guide against possible truncation of democratic process in Ondo and Nigeria at large.
Fagboyegun noted that all impeachment process against Aiyedatiwa should be halted and that Ondo State House of Assembly members should recluse themselves from the proceedings because they had allegedly received gifts of vehicles and cash from the state governor.
He said, “From our history in Ondo State, such situations have happened in the past and the consequences of those situations led to the deaths of many people and derailments of democratic government by the military. In 1963, political wrangling between two political parties led to an uprising which my late father, Rev Canon Johnson Olajide Fagboyegun aka JOE vigorously tried to mediate between the two warring factions (like I am doing now) but failed in his efforts.
“The situation eventually led to a total breakdown of law and order which led to scores of people dead within Ogho (Owo) land and Usho Town. This later escalated to what is now known as “Operation Wet Eh” in the South Western part of Nigeria and brought down the democratic government of late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa on January 16, 1966.
“Same scenario happened in 1983 between two political parties, which led to mega destructions of wealth and deaths of many; many of our illustrious indigenes. We in Ondo State have not fully recovered from this horrible incident. The incidence in Ondo State led to the fall of the second Democratic Republic of Nigeria
“A situation that can bring this democratic Third Republic down. We fought so hard to get our government back from the military. Many were killed, many went on exile.
“They know that the military’s duty is to protect democracy. However, there are some faceless bandits amongst the ranks, that could take advantage of what could happen in Ondo State if the following are not addressed immediately, because when it starts in Ondo State, it has the potential of spreading throughout Nigeria.”
Urging residents and citizens of the state to remain calm and allow the rule of law to take place, he said, “I am representing the voiceless Ondo State indigenes to say that all impeachment proceedings against Ondo State Deputy Governor should stop. We the people of Ondo State elected him, together with the incumbent Governor. That Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa immediately assumes the position of the governor in acting capacity, in the event that our governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredodu, SAN,
is continued to be incapacitated because of his illness.
“And should there be any case to answer by the Deputy Governor, and impeachment proceedings are required by law, all members of the Ondo State House of Assembly must recluse themselves from the proceedings because they have all corruptly received gift of vehicles and cash amount from the governor’s team on his return from his medical tourism to Germany.
“That the governor should address us (his people), to distant himself from all the witnesses of the nonentities that are hauling barrage of insults at the deputy governor and the entire Ilaje people.
“That if the above failed so materialise, that His Excellency, the President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should immediately declare a state of emergency in Ondo State before the situation degenerates into bloodshed that could lead to this Third Republic being toppled by faceless bandits in the military.
“Finally, I am calling pon all citizens and residents of Ondo State, especially, the youth, to remain calm and allow the rule of law to take its cause.
“Jungle justice is a criminal offence that could get the guilty ones death penalty under the law of our land,” he noted.
