Agboola Ajayi, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called for the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to clearly define the duties of a deputy governor.
Ajayi, who is the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming Ondo election, believes that amending the laws would address the issues stemming from the undefined roles of deputy governors, who are often referred to as “spare tyres.”
He stated on the Tuesday edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today that the National Assembly should take action to delineate and establish the constitutional role for the offices of the governor and the vice president, acknowledging that the current law restricts the deputy governor.
Ajayi pointed out that the deputy governor’s office can only operate at the discretion of the governor, who assigns roles. If the governor chooses not to engage with the deputy, that is their prerogative. However, Ajayi suggests that this aspect should be amended to provide deputy governors with a constitutional role, enhancing their relevance in what is a joint ticket.
The political landscape of Nigeria has seen numerous conflicts between governors and their deputies since the restoration of democracy in 1999. The relationships between governors and their deputies have often turned sour.
Many deputies have clashed with their principals, who sometimes accuse them of overstepping their bounds. In some cases, deputies have been replaced by their governors before their terms concluded.
Efforts by some deputy governors to succeed their principals have generally led to strained relations.
A recent instance occurred in Edo State, where the House of Assembly impeached Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, marking the culmination of a prolonged conflict with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, over Shaibu’s ambition to run in the state’s gubernatorial election.
