Posted by By Lanre Sorunke, Ado Ekiti on
The embattled deputy governor of Ekiti State, Mr Abiodun Aluko Thursday moved to save his office by apologising to his boss, Governor Ayo Fayose with whom he had been having a face-off.
The embattled deputy governor of Ekiti State, Mr Abiodun Aluko Thursday moved to save his office by apologising to his boss, Governor Ayo Fayose with whom he had been having a face-off.
The apology followed the intervention of traditional rulers who collectively under the aegis of the state traditional council mediated in the crisis between the deputy governor and his boss.
In a statement issued and personally signed by him, Mr Aluko who must have sensed that he was fast losing out, was quoted as having "shown remorse and tendered unreserved apology and re-pledged his unflinching and unalloyed loyalty to his governor."
The statement said it was regretable that the face-off which normally should have been an internal affair within the government and the party, was externalised and allowed to degenerate into a press war.
"But for this, the situation would not have degenerate to the level it reached as there are government and party machinery to resolve such issues without the undue publicity it has attracted", the statement remarked.
The statement commended Governor Fayose for giving room for dialogue, a situation which the statement added brought hope of resolving the crisis. The statement, however, noted: "it must be observed that there is nothing unusual in the present disagreement between the governor and his deputy as it had happened severally in the past and it is still happening in many parts of the federation and it shall continue to happen as everybody cannot see things from the same perspective.
"But the beauty of it all and the mark of leadership is for such a face-off to be resolved amicably without hampering the business of government as it has happened in this case."
The statement remarked that the insinuations read into the face-off by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state was uncalled for, adding, "we are all living witnesses to an attempted impeachment of the immediate past deputy governor of the state, Mr Paul Alabi by the then House of Assembly".
The statement urged all well meaning indigenes of the state to join hands with the government of Governor Fayose to move the state forward. Reacting to the apology, Governor Fayose said it was not enough, and urged the embattled deputy governor to further retrace his steps and reconcile with all those he had offended.
Meanwhile, in a move to forestal a recurrence of last Saturday violent clash between supporters of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the state government Thursday announced the banning of all forms of political rallies. The ban which shall last for three months was announced in Ado Ekiti by the state commissioner of police, Mr Bashiru Azeez.
Azeez who addressed journalists, said the decision was taken by the state security council. The CP explained that the ban was imposed so that the tension already generated by last Saturday incident could ease out.
Mr Azeez explained that at the end of the three months, there would be a review of the situation on ground with a view to further taking appropriate action.
Also, governors in the south western part of the country have decided to wade into the crisis between Fayose and his deputy.