Lucky Aiyedatiwa: Bola Tinubu Saved Me From Impeachment In 2023

According to Ireporter Online, the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu played a crucial role in preventing his impeachment in 2023, during his tenure as deputy governor. Aiyedatiwa made the disclosure during a media interaction with select journalists on Friday, praising the President for his timely intervention amid the political crisis in the state.

The governor stated that all 26 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly had initially signed for his impeachment, but the situation was averted due to Tinubu’s involvement. “Not even 25. The entire 26 assembly members signed for my impeachment. All of them. But I survived it. To cut the story short, I survived it eventually with the intervention of Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Aiyedatiwa said. He added, “I want to use this opportunity to thank him for being a good leader to our country. He intervened at that time, and we were able to put the house in order.”

Aiyedatiwa also recalled that the late former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, had publicly endorsed him as his successor on multiple occasions, including during their inauguration on February 24, 2021. “Those who were in the cabinet at the time knew for a fact that my late principal endorsed me on the day of our inauguration when he made an open declaration, which is still documented till today. While interpreting my name, he said I was going to move on from deputy governor,” he explained. Aiyedatiwa clarified that the remark implied a progression to the governorship rather than returning to a lower office.

He further revealed that the political crisis in the state deepened when Akeredolu’s health deteriorated, causing divisions within the ruling party. “When they heard that the governor was ill, there were all kinds of voices. There was division. That was when the party was divided,” Aiyedatiwa said, noting that some political actors sought to use the situation to remove him from office. “In politics, it is all about interest. Some other persons were eyeing that office,” he added.

The Ondo State House of Assembly had issued an impeachment notice against Aiyedatiwa in September 2023 over allegations of gross misconduct. Following Governor Akeredolu’s passing, Aiyedatiwa was sworn in to complete the remainder of the administration’s tenure and was later elected governor in the 2024 governorship election.