“I didn’t say the deputy governor was involved but I am saying that these people know themselves.
The Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Strategy to governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, Doyin Odebowale on Wednesday said there was little of governance in the state, while the governor was away for three months on medical leave.
Odebowale stated this on Channels TV ( monitored by Roving Reporters Online) while reacting to the speculation of a rift between Akeredolu and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following the sacking of the media team of the deputy governor.
Odebowale said, “I can tell you for free, when he (Akeredolu) was away, there was little of governance. Little of governance.
“People want to contest, they want to be governor, they want to be this and that. It is their rights buy they were distracting us( government) and they were recruiting people to be distracting us.
“The governor is not petty. While he was in Germany, he was asking people questions and giving directives, contrary to the impression created that he was seriously incapacitated.
“Now he is back, nobody is talking about the shenanigans that occurred when he was away. The shenanigans were about the coming election and the governor is not contesting again.
“As a member of this government, I was appalled at some of the things that happened.
“We know that certain members of the state executive council were contesting and some people outside are also contesting and it is legitimate. but what we ask from is that they should not distract us.
“They were posting the obituary of their fathers and not the governor more than five times. Posting the governor’s obituary because they wanted power. They were overheating the polity asking for power, money, funds like that.
“They created the impression that the governor was not in charge of anything. They attacked the first family. Abusing everybody.
“I didn’t say the deputy governor was involved but I am saying that these people know themselves.
“No governor would sit down and watch that happen. They should allow him die first. The governor is back and of he feels that if Doyin Odebowale does not fit into his new programmes, I will go back to my charge and bail.”
Disbandment of Ayedatiwa’s Media Team
“The governor appointed all us and only the governor and the deputy governor enjoy immunity and there is a laid down procedure on how either of them can be removed from office. Any other person is expendable.
“For good or bad reason, he may decide to remove you. If he feels you are no longer needed, you will go.
“I am not in the position to tell you what they did or what they did not do. The governor appointed them for a purpose. If they did not discharge the responsibilities of the offices of which they were appointed, the governor reserves the rights to ask them to go.
“Talking about the relationship between the governor and his deputy, they still met two days ago. I know there is no problem at all. I don’t want to believe that we are following what is happening in Edo state. No. This is Ondo state and Ondo state will do what is right.
“The primary purpose of governance is the welfare of the people. So the governor is not interested in this petty politics that the people have reduced the whole state into in his absence.”
Asked if Aiyedatiwa is in the running for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the special duties aide said, “He has not told me so; he has not told anybody so”.
