Akeredolu in State of Extreme Incapacity, Hospitalised, APC Chair, Adamu, Declares

•Urges Tinubu to carry party along in appointment of ministers 

•Sick Ondo governor writes state assembly to extend medical leave 

•President back in Abuja after trip to Guinea-Bissau

Deji Elumoye, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Fidelis David in Akure

National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, yesterday, declared that the ailing Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, was incapacitated and hospitalised. Adamu stated this at a meeting between the national leadership of the party and APC state chairmen.

The national chairman also urged President Bola Tinubu to carry the leadership of the party along in the appointment of ministers in his cabinet.

Earlier, Akeredolu, who is also the chairman of South West Governor’s Forum, wrote to the state House of Assembly to extend his medical leave and the acting period by the deputy governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

In another development, Tinubu returned to Abuja yesterday after a two-day official visit to Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, to attend the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Addressing the APC state chairmen, Adamu revealed that Akeredolu was incapacitated and currently hospitalised overseas.

“In the same vein, we regret to announce the extreme incapacity of the governor of Ondo State, who we understand has been hospitalised overseas,” Adamu said. “We wish and pray for him for a speedy recovery,” he added.

On the state of the party, Adamu said while APC governors were the leaders of the party in their respective states, the party chairmen ran the party on a daily basis. He added that an atmosphere of understanding between the chairmen, the governors, and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) would go a long way in enhancing good leadership of the party.

According to him, there would also be good understanding “if you do know which way we are going at the national level.  So that we can all hope and go in the same direction with you.”

Adamu stressed that after the 2023 elections, the ruling party had 20 governors. He said he was optimistic that the party would win the three off-season governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states.

The APC national chairman stated, “Every APC member has an inherent right to hope to get some patronage. And we can all get one here. We cannot all be ministers of the government. We cannot all end up as board members, directors of parastatals and MDAs across the country. We do expect some patronage from the government that we are forming.

“The president has just started. And he is doing his extensive consultation before coming up with his nominees for ministers. The nomination of the ministers will come first. They will go through their screening until they are pronounced after they have been submitted before Mr. President. And Mr President will formally appoint his ministers and swear them in.

“Only after doing that will he disclose each of them to the country to know which minister is going to which ministry. And how many ministries we are going to have. After that is done, the ministers assume office and make a comprehensive report starting from all the ministries.

“And MDAs under them. Before we are going to know what vacancies exist for chief executives, directors and part time directors. These are some of the exercises that will take place within the next two months. It cannot happen by next week but certainly that is what we should be expecting. 

“It is our hope and prayers that Mr. President will come along with us in that regard and strengthen the relationship of the party in the states and at the national level will enjoy some level of patronage in the new government. Those are the key issues that we do hope to share with you in the course of this meeting.”

Adamu expressed regrets over the kidnapping of APC state chairman in Ekiti State, and hoped that he would be free soonest.

He said, “We announce with the deepest sense of sorrow, a member of the state chairmen, the chairman of Ekiti State. We got to know today that he was kidnapped. And as at the time of coming to this meeting, he was still in the hands of the kidnappers.”

Akeredolu Writes Ondo Assembly, Extends Medical Leave

Chairman of South West Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), forwarded a letter of extension of his medical leave to the state House of Assembly.

This came days after the 66-year-old governor assured residents of the state that he was in high spirits and had full faith in the expertise of his doctors. He promised to return to his official duties soon.

Akeredolu had embarked on a 21-day medical leave on June 7 and was expected to return home on July 6, 2023 (today) to start performing his constitutional duties.

He had written to the state legislature in line with constitutional provisions to proceed on medical leave and handed over power to his deputy, Aiyedatiwa to act in his stead.

Receiving the extension letter on behalf of the lawmakers, Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, said the governor’s action was in line with Section 190 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

According to the letter, his deputy, Aiyedatiwa would continue to act as governor until there was a written declaration to the contrary.

Oladiji, who expressed appreciation to God for the speedy recovery of the governor, expressed optimism that he would soon resume his duties.

Akeredolu was seen briefly in public shortly after he returned to the state from his 15-working days annual leave on May 1, but his ill-health continued to generate anxiety.

The governor was reportedly treating leukemia, cancer of the blood, caused by a rise in the number of white blood cells in the body. It is a cancer of blood-forming tissues that hinders the body’s ability to fight infections.

Tinubu Back in Abuja after Trip to Guinea-Bissau

President Bola Tinubu returned to Abuja yesterday evening after a two-day official visit to Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. Tinubu was in that country to attend the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He arrived the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, about 6:30pm aboard the NAF 001 Boeing 737 jet.

While in Bissau, Tinubu was on Sunday unanimously elected the new Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, making his election one of the fastest into that office. It came 41 days after his election as president of Nigeria.

In his acceptance speech as Chairman of ECOWAS, Tinubu pledged to run an inclusive administration of the regional organisation. He warned that terrorism and the persistent pattern of coup d’etat in the region had reached alarming proportions and demanded urgent and concerted action.