 Court stops Ondo State Assembly from impeaching Ayodhatiwa. And Sereps use the federal government and state governors on retirement benefits. This is Plus Politics, and I am Mary Anna Cohn. A federal high court in Ibudja has restrained the Ondo State House of Assembly from impeaching Lucky Ayodhatiwa, the deputy governor of the state on the grounds of alleged misconduct while in office is acting governor. The judge has also restrained Rosimi Akeridolu, governor of Ondo State for nominating a new deputy governor and an interim injunction on him and his privies from preventing Ayodhatiwa from carrying out his functions. The functions of his office as deputy governor of Ondo State. Joining me to discuss this is Olufemi Lawson, he's the executive director, Center for Public Accountability, CPA. Thank you so much Mr Lawson for joining us. Good evening. Good evening. How are you today? I'm great. This is not the first time that we're experiencing a tussle between a governor and his deputy. I mean as we speak, Ondo State is experiencing its fair share of governor versus deputy governor drama. But what exactly do you think is playing out here in this instance? Well, good evening once again. What is happening in Ondo State is a bit different from the scenario in Ondo State because, majorly as we speak, there has been nothing attributed to the dispute between the a deputy governor and his deputy other than the solutions around the fact that the deputy governor has an ambition of contesting the first coming election to succeed is a principle by the governor that costs him repose. But in the case of Ondo State, at no time, as we speak, as the deputy governor, Mr Rokia Reda-Tua, declared or expressed his intention to succeed Governor Kereledu, while it is visibly clear that the dispute in Ondo is between, you know, Deputy Governor Felix Shuaibu and Governor Benjamin Abaseke. In the case of Ondo State, the scenario on our hands is a situation between deputy governor Rokia Reda-Tua and some very few individuals who have constituted themselves into a cover were by just leadership in Ondo State and are now operating, exploiting the, you know, current health condition of our governor to destabilize the political atmosphere in Ondo State. So unlike Edo, where the governor seems to be giving order to challenge the deputy governor in Ondo State, Governor Kereledu is not at the center of this scenario. Governor Kereledu has not been saying to be making statement or issuing directives against the deputy governor from Ondo State, but rather a very few people who have exploited the health situation of Governor Kereledu are, of course, close to the family of the governor and, of course, it's in a circle and the ones behind the impeachment plot of Deputy Governor Rokia Reda-Tua. And that is why we as Ondo State people see this as a plot by a very, you know, my mute and very significant minority who have access to power to destabilize the political atmosphere in Ondo State. Again, to say what you just said, you're saying the governor's handwriting is nowhere to be found on the wall. He's not even speaking about it. And it's public that, I mean, we know that the governor has been battling with his health. And many have even said, many pundits have said it's because of a fear of sorts that Governor Kereledu has got shot his day abroad to come back to hold on to his office. That could also be, you know, just a buyer statement. But when you say he's not involved in this, we all know that straight across this country, in states, the houses of assembly half the time are in cohorts with the governor for everything. Most of the time, rubber stamp. And even if the governor may not be saying anything, could it be that these people are acting to save the governor and, you know, leaving him out of it so that it doesn't look like he's personally behind this? Why I said and why I want to insist that Governor Kereledu may not be actively involved in the current plot is because it is in the public play that since Governor Kereledu, you know, purportedly returned to the country to resume his position as governor from those states, beyond the time that some members of the assembly went to have dinner with him in and he purportedly and led over his assumption later to them. Governor Kereledu as of no time, as we speak, you know, reported in our current industrial capital as the governor of those states about resumption. The truth is that, as we speak, there are clear court indicators that Governor Kereledu is not yet, you know, fully, you know, in the states or in the capacity to resume his position as a governor. And that is why persons around the governor have continued to exploit the health situation of the governor to create the current scenario we are seeing in those states. If Governor Kereledu has fully resumed as expected and has resumed the duty of the governor from those states in Nalakbaka where the seat of power at the capital of those states is domiciled, what would have been able to reach from his body language or his commitment or statement its disposition to the current, you know, charade being embarked upon by those states as of assembly. But I want to insist that Governor Kereledu is not yet, you know, in the physical capacity, even just recuperating from a very long medical holiday to embark on such an exercise, such as, you know, instigating impeachment against his deputy, especially for a man who had fought for him while he was away. Mr. Lokiaidatua stood, you know, in place of the governor and showed that activities, you know, were running and on those states was completely shut down. Left of these characters who are pushing for impeachment to be, on those states would have been completely shut down when the governor went for medical holiday. And that's what I want to insist or accept when the governor openly expressed his lack of confidence in his deputy who was his peer on the ticket that produced the episode featuring that election. I would want to believe that Governor Kereledu is part of this. I want to, I want to show you something. The people of the Lajie community I hear went on a protest. Mr. Lokiaidatua, just to take your mind back to what we saw in that video, the Lajie community members are saying, don't tamper with our mandate. Let there be peace. This can be sorted out. We want peace and harmony. But then a group of lawmakers or former lawmakers of all those states have also come out to make some interesting statements and that's what I want to point out to you. They are saying that they hopes that the 10th assembly would have threaded recushion that they would have, you know, gone on the side of, you know, unbiasedness for the want of a better way to describe it. He also, one of the speakers also talked about the fact that they should have chosen decency. He also said something about the fact that they need to avoid a state of chaos. Again, this, it points to the fact that there seems to be an agreement within the House for a majority to carry a vote to impeach the deputy governor of a state and that this again has so much of internal party politics written all over it. Again, I ask you, are you certain that the governor has no hand in this? First and foremost, let me say this. The deputy governor, Mr. Lokiaidatua, drove from Elijah. It's not the deputy governor of Elijah, it's the deputy governor of all those states. I have formed a day with the, with the local government here of all those states. I remain consistently opposed to the illegal attempt at removing the deputy governor. Give it to the Elijah people for the purpose of the fact that, you know, they are having the deputy governor shift not coming to them, you know, and they are the right to protect it. But let me say this. Mr. Lokiaidatua is not the deputy governor representing Elijah in this cabinet. In fact, if Mr. Lokiaidatua had been on the ticket of the all-progressive congress of that election, I would have been qualified to contest the election because what the constitutional, the constitutional measure recognizes is the fact that irrespective of your popularity, your competence, your qualification, whatever, no one is qualified to aspire for the position of the governor without having a running mate. Therefore, Mr. Lokiaidatua becomes the deputy governor on the basis of the decision of the all-progressive congress to peer in, to fulfill the constitutional mandate requirement for the APC to contest the election. So, Mr. Lokiaidatua, the deputy governor from this state, the deputy governor of the Elijah people are poor, are cocoa, ikale, all of us are poor, are kure, and the likes in this state. So, it is good that Elijah people are protecting their son, but it's beyond that. But I want to insist that if you look at every 10 days since the seat to be trying to remove Mr. Lokiaidatua, they are not representing the opinion of the vast majority of the state people. In us, you know, you know, presented the visuals of members of the last assembly. These are people who represented the various constituencies in those, you know, listed in the last assembly. We have groups that have represented various constituencies, no redemption front have represented various, in another nation we have the Elijah, the kare, are poor, and the likes. It is, you understand. So, even in the assembly, not every members of the state of assembly, as representing the various government have committed themselves to the move to impeach deputy governor Aida Chewa. And that is why for us, we insist that this is an attempt, but a very significant few, who have considered themselves to a cabaret, exploiting the ill health of God the Lord, to initiate this impeachment move. And that is why, as I speak to you, the vast majority of the state people are opposed to this. If you've got to understand today, the reality on the street is that any attempt to remove Mr. Lokiaidatua as the governor, deputy governor of those states, who spell discordance, who spell anarchy and disobedience, and that's why we are impoverishing and insisting that the house of the Lord is with stress instead and stop this illegal move to remove the deputy governor. Interesting. Somebody has had asked if there was some source of discordance within the party. How is the, what is the health of the APC in Omno state? Are there factions? And the members of the state house of assembly keep making mention of the fact that he had committed some sort of a misconduct while he was acting governor. But then the question is, what is this misconduct that was committed? There are some, there are few lawyers who've also posited that the deputy governor is wrong for suing him, almost everybody in the state, the governor, the chief judge, the members of the house of assembly that he should not have gone that route. But what are your thoughts? Whatever the deputy governor has gone to do today is very much in tandem with his constitutional right and rather than taking the route of those characters who are using the deputy governor to get him out of office today, the deputy governor taking the option of the law is using the instrumentality of the law to challenge the illegal attempt to get him out of office. In fact, by now, I think the house of assembly members and all the people in the camp, all those who are trying to search Mr. Lokia, should be commending the deputy governor because if it had been some other persons, especially those who are behind this plot, if none of them were promoted anarchy, I would have instigated violence. What deputy governor there had done by going to the court should be commended because this is a man from all indications that believes in the rule of law, the legitimacy of our constitution and the fact that we must not resort to self-air. I think that we had this right. Okay, we lost that connection for a second, but go ahead please. The truth is that if Mr. Lokia had had to have attempted to resort to self-air, on those days would have been in trouble today. But he has gone to court just because he believes so much in the fact that we must follow the rule of law and due process. What those who are trying to impeach the deputy governor are attempting to do is to exploit illegitimates. Let me give you an example. The senior special assistant to governor Vladimir K. Delu is a supposed lawyer and a former university lecturer as on here advocated the additive option. I mean the option that was used to sack former governor Rashid Ladraja's governor on those days, earlier states in this case. It means that these people are just desperate to get Mr. Lokia there to work out, not minding the approach. But as the people of on those days, the state of Pamika and the Kuliajashin, we will not encourage lawlessness, we will not encourage abrituriness and that is why whatever has to be done by the House of Assembly, the party of stakeholders must follow the process. And let me appreciate your progress in Congress in Nando State at this moment. It is unrecorded as you speak. The on those days ABC have not exhibited any tendency to support this illegal attempt by the assembly to remove the deputy governor for the state. As I speak to you, stakeholders in Nando State converge in Abudia this evening and have passed a strong resolution that will send to the national leadership of the ABC and the president tomorrow. Because it is about Nando State. It is not about these few, very few, desperate individuals who are pushing for a state of anarchy in our state. And that is why we must commend the deputy governor for approaching the court. Again, he is the deputy governor. All I hear is a few people are trying to cost mayhem. A few people are trying to cost the state of anarchy, but there is a governor. Why is the governor silent on this matter? In all of this, he should speak. If he's not in support of what's happening, shouldn't he be speaking? And if he is in support, then maybe silence, his silence can be read as into the fact that maybe he does support it and he wants the man out. So I ask again, why is the governor not speaking? Because he has the power, I'm saying, doesn't he have the power to put him to this? For all of us Nando State people, we are even more worried that since our governor, you know, purportedly returned from his medical leave, I can challenge you that Mr. Governor has not even addressed the people of Nando State for five minutes. I mean just five minutes, not even through a telecast or a visual interview, the fact that Mr. Governor has not even spoken rather through even the social media or the radio in Nando State for five minutes to tell us that his back calls for concern. For me, I strongly believe that these people have desperately brought Mr. Governor back from his medical leave to come and perpetrate this illegality. And it is a record that since Mr. Governor came back and purportedly, you know, resumed office, he's trying to let us grant him, Mr. Locke, the mandate of acting as his replacement, acting governor. Mr. Governor has not spoken to the people of Nando State. Mr. Governor has not addressed any issue, including the suffering of our people, not less of addressing the issue of impeachment. I want to strongly believe that these people, in their desperation, how good Dr. Bevere will be back to Nigeria. And that is why Mr. Governor has not been able to address this issue. Again, and I don't want to sound like Debbie Downer, but the governor is in ill health and his state is in a state of limbo. Members of his House of Assembly are trying to impeach his deputy governor. That house seems to be already a chaotic house. What does this mean for Nando State people, the people who vote for the governor? For us, Nando State people are peculiar people. We are not the people that have ever been captured. And we appreciate the right of people to create no comic relief for themselves, just like the Nando State House of Assembly and the inner caucus of Dr. Bevere Dulu are trying to create some comic relief for themselves. But for us, as Nando State people, we will not entertain illegality, we will not allow illegitimacy, I will not allow democracy to be slaughtered in our state. And that is why we consistently remain on the part of due process and whatever has to be done. But if Deputy Governor Nando can hear that you are, it's not wanting legitimately in the course of the discharge of his house from Nando State Governor, Deputy Governor, we will rally behind the assembly to remove him. Finally, before I let you go, the government, I mean the administration is just kicking off. There's a lot that needs to be done for Nando State people. I'm sure that the Governor, Kerry Nando, did have a long list of plans and promises that he made to the people of Nando State. Was all of this drama, including his ill health, does this not distracts from the people of Nando State getting the dividends of democracy? I understand that you say, oh, you guys have a great sense of humor. But that does not put food on the table. That does not give you infrastructural development. That does not in any way deliver the dividends of democracy to the people who voted for the governor. That's it. It is very saddening for us as Nando State people and let me apologetically state this, but as someone who also supported the re-election of Governor Kerry Nando, I want to state this that in the last five days I've been in Nando State. I have been in Nando State since Saturday. And I can tell you that fundamentally there is an absence of Governor Nando State. I know the passion that Kerry Nando came with to govern Nando State during his first term. I also understand what Governor Kerry Nando intended for Nando State when he was re-elected for a second term as the governor. I was particularly on the ground just like so many other people from Nando State. But unfortunately the health condition of Mr. Governor has not allowed him to undertake his ambitions in his dream for all Nando State. But the fact that the governor has to continue, as I speak to you, but that was traveling from my hometown to Akure for eight hours ago. It was a hell of a trip. A journey that is to be about one hour, 20 minutes, took about three, four hours. It tells you that Governor's is what's going on all the day because a group of people have not allowed institutions and individuals who should be running the government in the absence of the government to do their duties. And as I speak, the governors in Nando State have been hijacked by people who are not elected, people who are merely appointed by Governor Akure Nando from Lemo, from other parts of the country to come and assist him. They are hijacked leadership in Nando State. And that is why we must return to the part of governors. Allow Governor Akure Nando to fully recuperate. We are praying for the governor. We are supporting him. We continue to wish him well. But let these desperate individuals allow governors to run. We want Governor Akure Nando to return into his full capacity, that very radical, you know, committed governor, that governor who was protecting the interests of our people, that governor who was protecting our people from the invasion of the earthmen and militia. We want that governor who was providing positive for our people, not the governor who will be kept in the bedroom in Ibadon. And some people who are not mandate of our people, who be imposing leadership on our state, and prevent his deputy, the legitimate advantage of governing in Nando State. That is his deputy. They should stop this in Bitmergo. It is not popular and Nando State people will reject it. All right. I want to say thank you. Olufemi Larson, we thank you so much for being here. He is Executive Director Center for Public and Accountability, CPA. Well, this is hoping that Nando State gets the dividends of democracy sometimes soon. All right. Well, we'll take a quick break. When we come back, Sarah has actually sued the federal government and state governors on their retirement for life. These benefits, they say, are unlawful and needs to be stopped. We'll be talking about this in a moment. Stay with us.