Appointment of Deputy Governor: No Time Limit For Aiyedatiwa – Ikubese

Former President aspirant and convener of the #YesWeFit revolutionary movement, Dr. Thomas-Wilson Ikubese has said that there is no constitutional time limit to for governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo state to appoint his deputy governor, after his swearing in into the office of the governor.

Nigeriancablenewsonline.com reported how Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the governor on the 27th of December 2023, following the death of the former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

Ikubese said this during a TVC news current affairs program, ‘beyond 100 days’, while reacting to questions over the agitation of social commentators and interest groups, calling on the governor to appoint his deputy without further delay.

While citing section 193 of the Nigerian constitution as amended, ikubese added that not only is the governor not bound by any time frame to appoint his deputy, he said the deputy governor doesn’t have any assigned role in government, different from whatever role the governor decides to give to him.

“Going by the constitution, it’s meant to be a joint ticket by way of election. but in special situations like this where there’s a demise of the governor, and the deputy takes over. there’s no time limit as to when he (Aiyedatiwa) should appoint a deputy governor.”

He added that the state cannot be said to be missing the deputy governor because whoever will eventually occupy the office will have no constitutional function.

“According to section 193 of the constitution, the way the role of the deputy governor is prescribed is alongside that of the commissioners. In other words, even if there’s no deputy governor, the governor can assign his role to any commission because there’s no role specified for the deputy governor in Nigeria. And that’s why I have always advocated that we should have a constitutional role for the deputy governor.”

He however stated that political expediency can be a reason for the governor to consider announcing the appointment of his deputy governor as quickly as possible.

Ikubese also said the governor is at liberty to either render the deputy governor nonfunctional or make it function at his discretion.

He cited the attempt to impeach the governor while he was a deputy governor and other political developments as the reason why the governor may be taking his time on the decision to appoint the deputy governor.

He however urged the governor to do the needful on the deputy governor’s appointment, while adding that there should be no vacuum in government.