Akeredolu fires all media aides of his deputy

Hours after news emerged that the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has pledged allegiance to his boss,  Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, all his aides have been sacked.

Those affected were press secretary to the governor, Kenneth Odusola; special assistant to the governor (new media), Okunniga Oladipupo; and special assistant to the governor (Photography), Abayomi Samson Adefola

Aiyedatiwa earlier reaffirmed his allegiance to Mr Akeredolu, the state’s governor, on Tuesday.

According to Aiyedatiwa, recent rumours concerning his alleged disloyalty to his boss were fabrications meant to sour relations between him and the governor.

In a statement delivered on Tuesday, the deputy governor made this claim through his media assistant, Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, who has now been sacked.

The title of the statement said, “The blackmailers are at it again.”

In the statement, he claimed that anonymous organisations and persons in the state circulated the rumours in order to damage his reputation for political purposes.

The statement read, “We need to remind the public that this is a continuation of the blackmail started by these same characters some months ago, with false stories planted in some media outlets against the deputy governor. However, since those lies did not yield the result they envisaged, the blackmailers have returned with fake stories about disloyalty, aimed at causing disaffection between him and the governor.

“These faceless individuals who have been hiding their identities because what they are putting out are pure fabrications, are being sponsored by those who are threatened by the profile of the deputy governor, his relationship with his boss, and the goodwill he enjoys with the people.

“Many stakeholders have commended the deputy governor for the way he handled state affairs while he was Acting Governor, despite all his detractors did to provoke him into taking drastic actions. He avoided their booby traps and they tripped on their own banana peels.”

According to the statement, there was no communication chasm between the deputy governor and his principal over important subjects pertaining to the state.

“Now that Mr. Governor is back and has started working, the deputy governor remains calm and committed to the duties of his office and unruffled by the lies of desperate politicians and their agents. The deputy governor remains loyal to his principal and no amount of fabricated lies will change that,” the statement submitted.