I’ll abide by Supreme
Court decision – Akala
From FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE
Wednesday,
November 22, 2006
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•Akala
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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As the Supreme Court adjourns further adjudication on the
Court of Appeal’s nullification of the impeachment of
former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladioja,
the sitting governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, has said
that he was not desperate to hold on to power and that indeed,
the erstwhile governor remains his boss.
Against allegation of being a usurper by the Lagos State Governor,
Senator Bola Tinubu, for staying put after the appeal court’s
judgment, Otunba Alao–Akala told newsmen, after the
Supreme Court’s sitting on Tuesday, in Abuja, that he
would abide by the decision of the apex court and would not
stay a second longer than necessary in office should the court
rule that he vacate office.
The governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media
and Communication, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, stated: “For the
avoidance of doubt, Chief Ladoja is still his (Alao–Akala’s)
boss. They have been friends before the political impasse
and even after. Chief Ladoja is older than him, was governor
before him. There is no contest between them at all.
“Besides, His Excellency Otunba Alao–Akala is
not desperate to hold on to power. He believes that God gives
and only Him takes. He is a man of rule of law. He will abide
by whatever the court decides. People may not believe this,
since the crisis started, Governor Akala has never lost sleep.”
On the position by Governor Tinubu that Alao–Akala should
vacate office, the governor’s aide maintained that the
Lagos governor could not constitute himself into a law court,
pointing out that Tinubu has been displaying his arrogance
all over the South-western states and would be checkmated
if he ventures into Ibadan.
Mr. Odeyemi accused Tinubu of planting his commissioners in
states to foment trouble by financing them to attack perceived
enemies, warning that the people of Oyo State would rise in
stout defence of their governor.
The media adviser noted that Tinubu had earlier planned to
storm Ibadan in company of former Governor Ladoja to cause
trouble under the pretext of coming to commiserate with the
family of the late Chief Alayande, “but we got wind
of it on time and they changed their plan.”
He also lambasted the chairman of the Governors’ Forum,
Chief Lucky Igbiniedon for using the platform to curry the
friendship of Ladoja by writing to him to pledge the loyalty
of the forum when governors never met to take such decision.
He stated that politics needed to be sanitized, with the leaders
taking situations with calmness and followers made to understand
that thuggery and violence are not part of democracy and rule
of law.
It would be recalled that the strong man of Ibadan politics,
Chief Lamidi Adedibu, had said that not even the Supreme Court
would remove Alao-Akala.
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