After a two-hour closed meeting with the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, and the party reconciliation committee, aggrieved members of the Ondo House of Assembly agreed on Tuesday to shelve the planned impeachment of the deputy governor, Lucky Ayiedatiwa.
The delegation arrived at the APC national secretariat at about 1.25 pm.
At the meeting were a former Katsina State governor and Head of the reconciliation committee, Aminu Masari; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; Benue politician, Senator Jack Tilley Gyado; immediate-past governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura; a former governor of Ebonyi state, Martin Elechi; ex-governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar, and Florence Ita-Giwa.
Others included members of the National Working Committee and 18 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly.
The PUNCH reported that Ganduje Ondo lawmakers recently served Aiyedatiwa a notice of impeachment over allegations of gross misconduct.
But the APC leadership waded in to resolve the crisis.
Addressing newsmen after their closed-door meeting, Masari said, “For now, the probe and impeachment process have been suspended to allow room for the committee to work. We met with all stakeholders, except for the governor who we are still making effort to see.”
Ondo Speaker
The Speaker of Ondo House of Assembly, Oladeji Olamide, assured the audience that aside from suspending the impeachment process, they were willing to cooperate with the party leadership to resolve the political tension in the state.
“We promised to work with the national chairman and the chairman of the reconciliation committee to find a lasting solution to the political crisis in Ondo State. We gave a promise that on our part, we are ready to cooperate as an arm of government with the party. At the same time, whenever they want to meet us, we will be of help to the committee.
“More importantly, we will allow the committee to do their work without hitches. Apart from that, we believe this is the only political solution that will be of help to resolve the crisis in Ondo State,” the Speaker stated.
In his remarks, Ganduje applauded the lawmakers and the committee members, describing them as true democrats.
He said, “I must thank the state Assembly for agreeing to suspend the impeachment process and give room for political solution to the problem. As the reconciliation chairman has mentioned, they didn’t meet the governor and his deputy yet. But they met all the stakeholders. That was what warranted the meeting today.
“And now, having suspended the impeachment process, they have created a conducive environment to continue dialogue. We believe that we will reach a political solution. The APC, as a political party, is an institution that is indispensable to democracy.
“Therefore, apart from our basic function for recruitment of membership, elected officers and appointed officers, it is our responsibility to see that all the ethics of democracy are followed and crisis averted in our government, both at sub-national level and at international level. It is a political crisis and we are a political institution.
“So there’s no way we can fold our arms and see that our children are fighting and d we allow them to go like that.”
Credit: punchng.com
