‘Doctrine of necessity will end Ondo crisis’, Clark writes Tinubu

An elder statesman, Edwin Clark, has written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanding that doctrine of necessity be adopted to end the current political impasse in Ondo State.

There is political crisis in Ondo State following the failure of Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to resume duty after his medical trip abroad, and the plot to impeach the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

While the crisis deepened as Akeredolu remained in Ibadan, Oyo State, President Tinubu had summoned all stakeholders at the centre of the crisis to Abuja, for peace talks, but peace is yet to return to the state.

In a letter titled, ‘Urgent need to resolve the Ondo State impasse’, addressed to Tinubu and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, Clark said the President should make it possible for the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to take over in acting capacity, while Akeredolu takes care of himself.

The letter reads in part, “The on-going impasse in Ondo State can be likened to what happened when our dear late President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was very ill, and did not transmit a letter to the National Assembly in accordance with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, to enable the then Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to act as president.

“Mr. President, I wish to state that we have enough insecurity in the country which has largely stretched our security forces. This is why you must urgently and firmly act in the current situation in Ondo State, under a doctrine of necessity.

“Let me add that beyond any constitutional provision and your leadership of your political party, the APC, it is Your Excellency’s moral obligation as father of the country to use your good office to intervene and resolve all manners of political crisis around the country.

“The action of the Ondo State House of Assembly by going to court to prevent the National Assembly from interfering in the matters of the State House of Assembly is also escalating the issues. Every facet of Ondo State is currently sharply divided; the executive and legislative arms all have people either supporting the Governor or the deputy governor.”