Ondo 2024: Aiyedatiwa woos Tinubu’s daughter to get governorship Ticket

•As President visits Ondo tomorrow

Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is making a final push to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket ahead of the November 16, governorship election.

Recent reports suggest that Aiyedatiwa has formally been endorsed by Chief Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the daughter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Mrs Tinubu-Ojo, who is also the Iyaloja General of Nigeria, is expected to use her influence to persuade her father to support Aiyedatiwa’s continuity in Ondo State.

The meeting between the governor and Mrs Tinubu-Ojo, which was facilitated by a former House of Representatives member from the Irele/Okitipupa federal constituency, Akintoye Albert, was held at the Government House in Akure last Sunday, shortly after Aiyedatiwa returned from Owo for his late boss, former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s burial thanksgiving.

It was gathered that the President has distanced himself from Aiyedatiwa since the demise of his boss, following a controversial statement made by Aiyedatiwa on the day of his swearing-in.

It was also gathered that Aiyedatiwa is also facing challenges in winning the support of other Southwest governors, particularly those who are members of the APC, for his ambition.

A video showing the governor and Mrs. Tinubu-Ojo after the Akure political meeting was circulated on social media by Aiyedatiwa’s media aides to suggest that the President is backing their boss.

A popular “political lout” called “Eru” was seen in the video telling the Iyaloja General of Nigeria to inform the President that Lucky Aiyedatiwa is the only sellable candidate for the governorship election.

President Tinubu coincidentally plans to visit the state tomorrow, where he is expected to meet with Afenifere leader Pa Reuben Fasonranti at his residence in Akure and pay a condolence visit to the family of the late Governor Akeredolu, who was buried last Friday in Owo.

A source from the APC in Abuja said “Desperation has led Aiyedatiwa to Mrs. Tinubu-Ojo. He is willing to give up anything to secure the party’s ticket. He understands that the APC ticket will provide him with an easy path to remaining governor of Ondo State after February 25, 2025 as the PDP has devolved into an unserviceable political party.

“The truth is that he does not have the support of the presidency or the party’s national leaders. Aiyedatiwa has never concealed his hatred for his boss, and he supported his boss’s death so that he could become governor. Our leaders are aware of his covert plots to destroy all of Akeredolu’s legacies.

“Rewarding Aiyedatiwa with the party ticket would encourage treacherous deputy governors to go against their bosses’ wishes.

“Have you noticed that none of these southwest governors associates himself with Aiyedatiwa?” How many of them paid him an official condolence visit following Akeredolu’s death? They all went to Ibadan to sympathize with Akeredolu’s family despite he was the chief mourner.

“I remember that late Akeredolu, who was their southwest Governors’ Forum Chairman held a meeting with them at his residence in Ibadan, shortly after he returned from Germany, and I believe he must have told them what his deputy did to him while he was on sick leave.

“They sent a strong message last week Wednesday that they are not for him when none of them attended a Lying State programme for the late Akeredolu in Akure, which was organised by Ayedatiwa’s government. They only came to Owo on Friday to attend their colleague’s burial.

“Mrs Tinubu-Ojo cannot save Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and I hope his desperation does not lead to him emptying the state’s treasury for political gain.”