Hurricane Akeredolu Ravages Cabinet In Ondo 

As restless as the leaf on the flowing path of a river is, so are members of the cabinet of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu since he returned from his medical leave.

The governor, like a hurricane, blew off media aides of his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Press Crew attached to his office was disbanded at the speed of light.

People in the state, particularly those in the political arena of the state, are curious about what could inform the brash decision of a governor who just recuperated from an illness.

That the hurricane affected only people around his deputy raised the speed of the heartbeat of people at the corridor of power both within and outside the state.

It won’t be melodramatic to say that close allies and political associates of the deputy are panicky on grounds that the sack of his media aides and the disbandment of the press crew covering his activities is perceived as clipping his wings.

Questions have been flying around in the political circle, prominent among which is what wrong has Aiyedatiwa done to his boss, who single handedly chose him and planned to hand over to him as his successor.

The first set of casualties of the governor’s action seems to be pointing to the psychic skirmishes that happened among his appointees and the deputy governor when his Dutch surgeons were attending to him in Germany.

Ruminating on the crux of what happened between the acclaimed loyalists of the deputy governor and self-acclaimed loyalists of the governor, they were all fighting for their individual selfish interests.

Snitching and blackmail appear to have taken the center stage as the media aides fired by the governor were indicted in the alleged move by the deputy governor to succeed his boss even before the expiration of his tenure in office.

Sources revealed that Governor Akeredolu seems to be confused on who to trust among his lieutenants because virtually all of them are involved in the unhealthy scheming among members of his cabinet which only subsided when he arrived in the country.

A source close to the corridor of power in the state disclosed that the governor could be considering dissolving his cabinet outright.

The source said the governor may not reappoint any of the current cabinet members when he returns to the state since he arrived in the country a fortnight ago.

It has become a serious issue now in the state what the fate of the deputy governor would be any moment from when the governor arrives in the state.

Summarily, the major touted allegation against Lucky Aiyedatiwa is that he wished his boss untimely death.

They further alleged that he had begun a clandestine arrangement to constitute his own cabinet ahead of his boss’ expected demise.

Sources said this weighty allegation was what the enemies of the deputy governor presented before the governor even when he was still on medical leave.

But the deputy governor was said to have denied this job-threatening allegation before his boss.

It couldn’t be ascertained if Akeredolu was convinced by his deputy’s denial, most especially when he relieved all the media aides attached to the office of the deputy governor of their appointments last Tuesday.

Meanwhile, some members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state were said to have started scheming for the seat of the deputy governor even when the governor or the state chairman of the party, Engr. Ade Adetimehin has not filed any petition before the state House of Assembly.

These moves have raised the suspicion that there might have been workings to impeach the deputy governor.

Some politicians, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that the allegation against the deputy governor couldn’t be described as an impeachable offence.

But some of them agreed that members of the state House of Assembly could remove the deputy governor on grounds of trump up allegations though subject to two-third majority of the 26-man Assembly.

According to analysts, getting the required constitutional percentage of the lawmakers in the Assembly may not be a headache to the governor because members of APC in the Assembly are 22

Besides, it was observed that the deputy governor is nowhere to be found in terms of having a hold on the lawmakers.

They noted that Akeredolu would boot Aiyedatiwa out of office effortlessly unlike his former deputy, Agboola Ajayi, who controlled a large number of lawmakers in the Assembly, making it a herculean task for Akeredolu to remove him from office.

Speaking on the quality of the current Assembly in the state, some of the analysts said it became clear that the present Assembly in the state is a rubber stamp when the Speaker, Olumide Oladiji took the Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) bill to the returnee governor in his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State to assent to it.

So, removing Aiyedatiwa would be as smooth as a hot knife going through butter.

Nonetheless, Governor was blamed for the current crisis between him and his deputy because he allegedly made it too obvious that he was going to hand over to him as the party’s standard bearer without recourse to other members of his party who are aspiring to succeed him in office.

This singular act was identified by pundits as the reason for the attacks unleashed on the deputy to abort the plan of the governor which the snitchers have successfully done.

No fewer than six members of the state cabinet are gunning for the governorship seat.

Anointing a particular candidate by Akeredolu may lead to serious implosion in APC because the governor is on his way out of power.

There would be serious resistance to any attempted imposition by the governor.

By the way, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state is uncomfortable with the governor’s stay in Ibadan since he resumed office after his medical leave.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Aiyedatiwa declared that it’s been rumoured a resignation purportedly signed by him was in circulation in the state.

He denied signing any resignation letter, declaring that he had a joint ticket with the governor and was bound to complete the four-year term.

Aiyedatiwa said: “My attention has been drawn to a rumour of a purported pre-signed resignation letter, signed by me, being circulated in the public domain.

“I wish to state that I, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State have not, do not intend and will not sign/author any letter resigning my position as the duly elected Deputy Governor in a joint ticket with my principal the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, CON

“I took an oath the day I was sworn in along with Mr. Governor on February 24th, 2021 to protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on a four (4) year mandate which terminates on February 23rd, 2025. I remain loyal to my principal and stand by the oath took with the Bible to run the full cycle of the four year tenure with Mr. Governor.

“To this end I urge the people of Ondo State, the State Assembly and the general public to disregard such letters now and in the future.”

Rumours among politicians in the state had it that Governor Akeredolu gave Aiyedatiwa a condition that he must sign a resignation letter in secret which would be presented by the governmentincasehebetraysthegovernor.

The idea was said to have been informed by the deputy governor who served with Akeredolu in his first term in office, Agboola Ajayi.

Aiyedatiwa’s denial of signing the purported resignation letter was described as preemptive.

A source said the deputy governor was trying to prevent the state government or APC leadership from presenting the letter signed by Aiyedatiwa as a condition for him to deputize for Akeredolu.

“The deputy governor is already scared by the action taken against the media aides attached to his office by the governor.

“He’s disturbed that the next action may be his removal from office either by presenting the resignation letter he had signed before he was given the slot of the deputy governor or using the House of Assembly to impeach him.

“It’s normal for him to be afraid and fight against the tide blowing against him,” a source said.

Till Akeredolu returns to the state, observers are keeping their fingers crossed to see how things unfold.