Akeredolu’s aide slams Ondo officials for making little impact while Governor was on medical leave

During Rotimi Akeredolu’s three-month absence, Ondo State Government officials failed to provide residents with the best level of governance, according to Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Strategy Doyin Odebowale on Wednesday.

“I can tell you for free, yes, when he was away, there was little governance,” Odebowale said on Channels Television’s Politics Today, six days after the governor’s arrival in Nigeria from medical leave abroad, notably in Germany.

“People wanting to contest – yes, they want to be governor, they want to be this, they want to be that. It is within their right but they were distracting us and they were recruiting people.”

Considering that Akeredolu’s second term will end in about 17 months, a vote to select his successor is anticipated to take place in the second half of 2024.

The welfare of the people, according to Odebowale, is the main goal of governance. He emphasised that officials must put politics aside and work for the good of the people.

“The governor is not interested in these petty politics that people have reduced the whole state to in his absence,” he added.

The comments follow rumours of a falling out between Akeredolu and Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, which followed the governor’s decision to dissolve his deputy’s media team and order each member to turn in any government property they were in possession of immediately.

“Talking about their relationship, I know the governor and the deputy still met a few days ago. There’s no problem at all,” Odebowale said in reassurance.

The senior aide also rejected comparisons to Ondo State, where Governor Godwin Obaseki and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu are rumoured to be at odds following the deputy governor’s legal action against the governor over an alleged impeachment plot against him.

Shaibu moved his office farther from the Government House quarters even though the lawsuit was later dropped.

“I don’t want to believe that what is happening in Edo State is what we’re following,” Odebowale argued.

“No, we cannot follow Edo State. This is Ondo State. Ondo State will do what is right.”

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.

“But because we are in this state, we know that certain members of this cabinet are contesting and some people who are outside too want to contest and that is legitimate,” he added.