Akure, Ondo State – In a bid to quell the escalating political crisis in Ondo State, the national leader of the Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, alongside religious leaders and Ondo state elders, convened a crucial meeting lasting five hours at Pa Fasoranti’s residence in Akure.
The elders, including traditional rulers and religious leaders, emerged from the meeting urging all parties involved to lay down their arms and refrain from pursuing the impeachment of either Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu or his Deputy, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
Former Secretary General of Afenifere, Basorun Sehinde Arogbofa, spoke on behalf of Pa Fasoranti, revealing that the reconciliation meeting was instigated by the Yoruba leader himself. Arogbofa emphasized the necessity of addressing pertinent issues within the state.
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Arogbofa said “The elders’ meeting was summoned by the Afenifere leader and, by implication, the Yoruba leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, to discuss issues in our state.
“It is still ongoing; we just started the discussion about the problems happening in the state.
“Having looked at so many things, it was the conclusion of the elders and leaders of Ondo State that, for now, there should be no impeachment of either the governor or the deputy.
“We are still looking at how things are going. We still have a lot to do, we just started.
Lisa of Ondo Kingdom, Sir Simeon Oguntimehin, another prominent figure in the group, explained their intervention as an effort to reconcile the conflicting parties. He conveyed the unanimous decision from the meeting that unequivocally opposed any move to impeach either the governor or the deputy governor.
Oguntimehin said that
“the meeting decided and confirmed that no attempt should be made to impeach either the governor or the deputy governor.
“We want the rule of law to continue to reign in the state. We don’t want any problems; we want the rule of law according to the Constitution to be adhered to and continue to be followed.
“This is a Sunshine State, and the state must continue to shine.
During an interview with journalists, Prof. Olu Aderounmu, the ex-Vice Chancellor of Oodua University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, remarked that
“We want everybody to work with the elders. We mean well for this state.
“We particularly want the State House of Assembly to, if called upon, listen to Pa Fasoranti and the elders in the state.
“Some of the elders participated actively in the creation of this state, so they are concerned. We want to appeal to everybody in corporate.
“Ondo State used to be the leading state in the federation, whether you talk about education, human resources, or material resources. We want to continue to be the number one state in the country.”
The elders expressed their commitment to convene a subsequent meeting with the governor, deputy governor, and members of the House of Assembly to find a lasting solution to the imbroglio.
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They assured the people of Ondo State that a resolution to the crisis is imminent.
When asked about the receptiveness of the assembly members to their counsel, Basorun Arogbofa expressed confidence, stating, “It will be strange for us to talk to them, and they won’t listen to us.” The elders remain optimistic about a peaceful resolution to the political turmoil in Ondo State.
