The homecoming of Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and his extended stay at his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State, have triggered mixed reactions among stakeholders in the state.
Akeredolu returned to Nigeria last Thursday after a medical vacation and has since been residing in Ibadan. This situation has sparked a war of words between the state chapters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor, shortly after his return, signed a bill into law, creating local council development areas in the state. He expressed his gratitude to residents for their support during his challenging period.
The PDP suggested that the governor’s failure to return to the state indicated his unfitness to come back to the country after medical leave. They alleged that he rushed back to avoid the possibility of impeachment.
In response, the APC accused the PDP of wishing ill on the governor and urged the opposition to engage in constructive criticism rather than engaging in baseless accusations.
In a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mrs. Kennedy Peretei, on Friday, the opposition party said, “The Governor of Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, is still nowhere to be found, eight days since he claimed he had resumed duties as Governor after his three months medical leave in Germany.”
“Last week, we challenged the rationale for Akeredolu calling for a meeting in his Ibadan residence, instead of Ondo State where he was elected to govern. Up till this moment, the governor has not been seen anywhere near Ondo State.
“Akeredolu is beginning to fuel media speculations that, against the advice of his doctors, he was hurriedly brought into Nigeria to foil an impeachment process. He also ordered an upgrade of his Ibadan residence to include a replica of the executive council chambers, from where he intends to hold exco meetings.
Does Akeredolu want to make Ibadan the capital of Ondo State? What is the hurry to resume all about, if he cannot come to Ondo State?
“Would it not have made more sense if he was still attending to his health abroad? Why did he say he had resumed when indeed he had not? Our party wishes to advise Akeredolu to come to Ondo State to complete his tenure.”
However, the APC in a reaction by its Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaiye, said the governor had been attending to state matters the way he ought to.
It said, “It is unbelievable that the PDP is having a grouse with the location of our Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. This is a clear indication that the opposition party never wanted Arakunrin back alive.
“The crux of the matter is that Mr Governor has been attending to state matters, since his arrival the way he ought to, irrespective of location. This is an indisputable reality. I sympathise with the PDP; it is a crisis-ridden political party that is bereft of ideas, and no longer coherent and constructive.” I didn’t resign my position, says dep gov
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Friday denied signing a pre-resignation letter as being rumoured in some quarters.
Aiyedatiwa said he knew nothing about the purported letter of resignation which was reportedly being circulated on social media in the recent time.
He declared that he did not resign from his position as the number two man in the state and had no intention of doing so.
The media aides of the embattled deputy governor had been relieved of their positions earlier in the week, according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Richard Olatunde.
However, in a statement Aiyedatiwa issued on Friday, he said, “I took an oath the day I was sworn in along with Mr Governor on February 24, 2021, to protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on a four-year mandate which terminates on February 23, 2025, remain loyal to my principal and stand by the oath taken with the Bible to run the full cycle of the four-year tenure with Mr Governor.”
