MORE traits by which Bola Tinubu is establishing his brand as the President of Nigeria are becoming discernible. He has shown a proactive reflex to intervene positively and timeously to douse the smouldering flames of political crises in two states within one month.

The first was Rivers State, where the sudden notice of impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by a faction of the State House of Assembly was halted after Tinubu intervened in the crisis of confidence between Fubara and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who is also Fubara’s predecessor. The president has also intervened to ensure that the Ondo crisis does not boil over.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s long absence from duty due to ill-health had prompted moves to have him removed. At the same time, it also put pressure on the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who faced imminent impeachment from lawmakers loyal to the governor. Tinubu asked the two sides to maintain the status quo. This means they should be allowed to remain in office. The president, however, put the Deputy Governor on a leash by appointing three people to “monitor” him.

We believe the president has taken the right and wise decision which, if followed through, will prevent the breakdown of law and order in Ondo State.

Under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), there are two ways by which a governor or his deputy can be removed from office. The first is “gross misconduct” as defined by the State House of Assembly (Section 188). The second is “permanent incapacity” as certified by a medical panel pursuant to the declaration by the two-thirds of the State Executive Council that the governor is incapacitated.

Under the Nigerian presidential system where state governors have amassed imperial powers, whereby they cannot be subjected to checks and balances, impeachment is near-impossible unless its motive force comes from the higher-ups in the political echelon. Secondly, it is unrealistic to expect the cabinet appointed by the governor to declare him incapacitated since their own positions will be affected by his removal.

In any case, the governor can sack his cabinet from his sick bed, just as the late Governor Danbaba Suntai did in Agust 2013.

A governor on his sick bed is the last person to allow himself to be thrown out onto the streets where he can no longer indulge himself at public expense. The suspicion that usually exists between a governor and his deputy at times like this makes a total nonsense of the provisions of Section 188.

Akeredolu should have transmitted a letter to the Assembly to enable his Deputy stand in for him until he returns to work. It is unfortunate that the State Houses of Assembly have lost their ability to assert their oversight powers of ensuring that the law is followed in a situation like this.