LOCKED OUT! Akeredolu's Wife, Son Prevented From Ondo Peace Meeting

By Lanre Olaleye

Ondo State First Lady, Betty Akeredolu and her son, Babajide were served a rude shock on Friday night when they were both prevented from attending the peace meeting initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resolve the lingering political crisis rocking the state.

The meeting which held at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock had the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, State Assembly Speaker, Oladiji Olamide alongside his fellow lawmakers, members of the state cabinet, APC leaders and elders in the state in attendance was about to start when Presidential aides politely told the First Lady and her son they were not on the official list of expected attendees of the meeting.

Betty, an influential member of Akeredolu's administration is a strong and respected voice in the lingering political crisis in the state. She alongside her son who is the Adviser and Director-General of Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit of the state had hope to present her husband's case at the meeting but was denied entry into the meeting by protocol officials at the presidency.

"She and her son were not on the official list of attendees. Hence, she was not allowed into the meeting," a presidential aide volunteered.

Asked if she could have been granted entry on self recognition. He added: "This is a political matter and it did not concern the First Lady in her official capacity."

However, in her absence, the meeting ended on happy note as President Tinubu successfully reconciled all the warring factions and enjoined them to embrace peace in the interest of the state and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

A major resolutions arrived at after nearly six hours of deliberations between the President and state officials was the decision to swear in the Deputy Governor as the Acting Governor following Akeredolu's indisposition following his ailing health status.

The Deputy Governor thereafter declared his decision to maintain the status quo and unite all the warring factions. He said, “I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go and also let God, just as the President has advised us.

“And I want to say that no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I’ve survived it and every other thing is in the past."

The Speaker of the House, Olamide, who read the details of the resolution, said, “Our resolution is that one, we shall embrace peace. Secondly, there would be no more dissolution of the cabinet and the Deputy Governor would maintain status quo as far as the House of Assembly leadership is concerned."