The House of Assembly will on Wednesday write the Secretary to the State Government on the transfer of powers to the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The Ondo State House of Assembly will on Wednesday (today) formally write the Secretary to the state government on the transfer of the powers of the governor to the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
This follows a statement that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is proceeding on another medical vacation.
It was, however, gathered that as of the time the statement was issued on Tuesday by the governor's spokesperson, the Assembly had not received a formal communication from the governor.
PREMIUM TIMES also learnt that at a meeting of members of the cabinet and lawmakers with President Bola Tinubu on Monday, the decision was for the Assembly to declare the deputy governor as acting governor using the ''doctrine of necessity.''
Concerns had been raised at the meeting that the governor might not be able to transmit a signed letter and in order not to delay matters further, the House was to proceed with the declaration.
The spokesperson of the House, Olatunji Oshati, said on Tuesday night that as of 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday when the House held a parliamentary session, the letter from the governor was yet to arrive at the office of the Speaker.
''We think that since the governor has agreed to send the letter, there was no need for invoking the doctrine of necessity in the matter,'' Mr Oshati said.
''We have no reason to doubt that the letter will come and that is the agreement.
''We hope that by Wednesday we will formally write the SSG to communicate that we have seen the governor's request to go on medical leave and that the deputy governor should act on his behalf as governor until his return.
''But if the governor can send the letter, it means he is alive and he is receiving medical attention. There will be no need for the doctrine of necessity.
''The president has also graciously allowed the governor to pass a letter to the House, but if the governor cannot send the letter, then the House will have to go on the doctrine of necessity.''
The governor's chief press secretary, Richard Olatunde, on Tuesday, stated that ''a formal letter regarding the medical leave and a notice formally transferring power in line with the Nigerian Constitution will be transmitted to the House of Assembly.''
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''In the absence of Governor Akeredolu, the Deputy Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, will assume the responsibilities of the Governor in an acting capacity,'' the letter further states.
The governor has not resumed office since September when he returned from a medical vacation in Germany.
His absence had created a vacuum in governance, leading to tensions over who was leading the government.
Allegations of forgery of the signature of the governor on some official documents further raised fears that the governor might be permanently incapacitated.
External pressures have also mounted from groups calling on him to resign. A group, Take-It-Back Movement, led by Omoyele Sowore, the former presidential candidate of the Action Alliance, has called for a protest with the same demand on Saturday.
