Mutual Suspicion Between Governors and their Deputies

Fidelis David writes that office of the deputy governor is the second most important office after that of the governor at the state level in Nigeria but the phenomenon of mutual suspicion between such elected political offices holder since the commencement of the Fourth Republic in 1999 has become an issue of concern.

Many of the 36 states across Nigeria have had the history of threats and outright impeachment of deputy governors, due to the rivalry with their principals. For instance, Ondo, Kogi, Abia, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Edo, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Taraba, Oyo, Osun, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Kano, among others, had their fair share of the trend. In each of those cases, the deputy governors ended up being impeached or resigning.

Overtime,  relationship between governors and their deputies has always been synonymous to that of cat and rat because the role of the deputy has not been clearly defined.

For instance, Section 193 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, states that: “The Governor of a State may, in his discretion, assign to the Deputy Governor or any Commissioner of the Government of the State responsibility for any business of the Government of that State, including the administration of any department of Government”.

Also, Section 191 (1) also states that: “The Deputy Governor of a State shall hold the office of Governor of the State if the office of Governor becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or removal of the governor from office for any other reason in accordance with Section 188 or 189 of this constitution.”

In interpretation, the role of a deputy governor is therefore dependent on the pleasure of the governor, except in the circumstances listed in Section 191 (1).

Meanwhile, some governors see it as an opportunity to show who is in charge. Very few governors assign their deputies supervisory roles over certain government ministries and agencies. We have had many cases where state governors travel out of the country for months without handing-over to their deputies, to the detriment of the state as a whole.

In some states, we observed that the governors limit their deputies only to participating in the state executive council meeting and attending public functions which the governor is unable to attend.

Don’t forgot that the frosty relationship between Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the immediate past Deputy Governor,  Rauf Olaniyan, lasted for over two years before his impeachment by the state House of Assembly after the recommendation of the panel set up to investigate the allegations levelled against him.

Interestingly, many deputy governors have been blamed for causing their problems. Let’s take the case of Adekunle Ajasin and Akinwole Michael Omoboriowo in Ondo State in 1983. Omoboriowo was elected deputy governor on the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) platform, running with Michael Adekunle Ajasin, who became governor.

Omoboriowo claimed that he should have been UPN candidate for governor, since he had won more votes that Ajasin in the primaries, but that the UPN leaders had rigged the results.  During his period as deputy governor, he fell out with Ajasin, who refused to swear him into power as acting governor when Ajasin was away from the state.

Omoboriowo was no longer in good terms with the governor, the late Adekunle Ajasin who already had in his camp some members of the state House of Assembly. By the time the crisis between Ajasin and Omoboriowo boiled over, Ondo state was up in flames and  for about four weeks, the state didn’t know peace.

Political experts assert that, a deputy governor is like an appendage to the governor in Nigeria as the deputy is at the mercy of his governor to be politically relevant and effective.

Others say, it takes a governor with a heart of benevolence to use his discretion to delegate a few functions to his deputy, even though the constitution provides that.

Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa: A different ball game

In Ondo State, suffice to say that the case of such misunderstanding and rivalry has not been observed between the state Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the governor at different times, allowed Aiyedatiwa to perform the functions of the office of the Governor.

For instance, last Monday, the governor proceeded on a 15-working day vacation as first instalment of his 2023 annual leave.

In a statement issued in Akure by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde and transmitted to the State House of Assembly and addressed to the Speaker, Hon Bamidele Oleyelogun, Governor Akeredolu said the leave was to commence from Monday, 3rd to Tuesday, 25th April, 2023, both days inclusive.

He explained that while he is away on vacation, the Deputy Governor, Lucky  Aiyedatiwa, will perform the functions of the office of the Governor in acting capacity.