Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Strategy, Doyin Odebowale on Wednesday stated that the absence of Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for three months resulted in subpar governance for the local residents, as government officials failed to provide effective leadership.
Odebowale made this statement during his appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today,” six days after the governor returned to Nigeria from his medical leave in Germany.
“I can tell you for free, yes, when he was away, there was little of governance.”
Ondo State Government Begins Palliative Distribution for Vulnerable Households
He observed that the current matter carries a political implication.
“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,” Odebowale said.
With Akeredolu’s second term nearing its conclusion in approximately 17 months, an election is anticipated in the latter part of 2024 to select his successor. Odebowale emphasized that the fundamental objective of governance is the well-being of the populace, asserting that officials should prioritize serving the people over engaging in political maneuvers.
“The governor is not interested in these petty politics that people have reduced the whole state to in his absence,” he added.
These comments follow recent speculation about a potential discord between Akeredolu and Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. This speculation arose after the governor dissolved his deputy’s media team and instructed each member to promptly return any government assets in their possession.
Deputy Governors in the Eye of the Storm: Crisis Engulfs Ondo and Edo Government Houses
Odebowale reassured that there are no hostilities or animosity between Akeredolu and his Deputy,
“Talking about their relationship, I know the governor and the deputy still met a few days ago. There’s no problem at all.”
The senior aide also dismissed comparisons with the situation in Ondo State, where there is widespread belief that Governor Godwin Obaseki and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu are in conflict due to the deputy governor’s legal action against the governor concerning an alleged impeachment plot.
BREAKING! Deputy Governor of Edo State, Shuaibu Relocates Office Amidst Ongoing Legal Battle
Although the lawsuit has been withdrawn, Shaibu has moved his office to a location outside the Government House quarters.
“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.”
When asked whether Aiyedatiwa is a candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket, the special duties aide responded, “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.
However, Odebowale is urging that the aspirations of individuals within the state government should not divert the attention of others.