Akeredolu: Prominent Lawyer Speaks On Ondo Governor, Aiyedatiwa Choosing A Deputy

• Prominent lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as Ondo state has no specific timeframe to choose a deputy
• Effiong, however, said he expects that Governor Aiyedatiwa will decide who becomes his deputy immediately.
• In an exclusive chat with Legit.ng, Effiong said the office of the deputy governor has to be occupied at all times

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy

Lagos state - Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said the swearing-in of Lucky Aiyedatiwa as Ondo state governor on the same day the death of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu was announced is in line with the constitution.

Effiong said those who say that the swearing-in was too quick are mistaken, stating that the office of the Governor cannot remain vacant.

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In an exclusive chat with Legit.ng, he explained that the Constitution does not allow for a vacuum, hence, the decision to make Aiyedatiwa governor after Akeredolu’s death.

The prominent lawyer said:

“Those who say that the swearing-in of the deputy who was then the acting governor was too quick are mistaken. The Constitution does not allow for a vacuum in the office of governor. The position of acting governor presupposes that there is a governor. So, when the governor dies, there has to be a replacement and that replacement has to be immediate."

It has to be the same day once the death of the governor is confirmed; it cannot be postponed to the next day. Because that will mean for that day the state will be without a chief executive.”

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Speaking on Governor Aiyedatiwa choosing a deputy to govern the state with him, Effiong said there is no specific constitutional timeframe for the new Ondo governor to choose a deputy but he expects that it will be immediate.

“Section 186 of the Constitution predisposes that at all times, the office of the deputy governor has to be occupied. Except in circumstances where elections have to be held without a time frame. I would expect that the new governor of Ondo state will communicate a suitable replacement and send the name to the House of Assembly to determine the next deputy governor of the state.”

Aiyedatiwa sworn in as Ondo governor hours after Akeredolu's death

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Aiyedatiwa’s swearing-in was conducted by the Chief Judge of Ondo state, Justice Olusegun Olusola, following the demise of late Akeredolu in the early hours of Wednesday, December 27, in Germany.

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Revealed: 2 Nigerian politicians Aiyedatiwa may appoint as Ondo deputy governor

Aiyedatiwa was until the early hours of Wednesday the acting governor of Ondo state due to the medical leave embarked upon by the Akeredolu.

The new governor promised to put the people first in his administration describing it as the cornerstone of all that the administration had done before now.

Source: Legit.ng