Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has described the claim by a senior lawyer, Kayode Ajulo (SAN), that his signature was being forged by his aides to carry out government business, as “utterly preposterous and ludicrous”, stemming solely from the figment of an imagination.
Ajulo had during a live interview on a Television show on Monday, alleged that some Ondo State government officials were signing documents in the name of the ailing Governor Akeredolu.
He argued that the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, can not take over from Akeredolu because power has not been transferred to him constitutionally.
According to the senior lawyer, this has paved the way for a cabal to hijack governance in the state.
But, in a swift reaction, Governor Akeredolu denied the claim, saying: “It is disheartening to see a supposed legal practitioner making such statements on national television.”
Speaking through his chief press secretary, Richard Olatunde, Akeredolu said, “This accusation of forging Mr. Governor’s signature is utterly preposterous and ludicrous, stemming solely from the figment of their imagination. I want to assure you that no one is forging Mr. Governor’s signature. The circulated content on social media, which some people are relying on as evidence, is laughable.
“If they genuinely believe there is a disparity, they should present a legitimate document to support their claims. We are more than willing to thoroughly investigate the matter and prosecute anyone found culpable.
“The main issue here is that we cannot entertain baseless speculations and unfounded claims. A group of individuals somewhere has assembled two signatures, yet they cannot even determine which one belongs to the governor.
“They refuse to disclose the documents that were allegedly signed or provide any information regarding the dates. The individuals behind these fabricated signatures are the real culprits engaging in criminal activities.
“It is disheartening to see a supposed legal practitioner making such statements on national television. How did they arrive after the forgery? Where is the document that supposedly contained the forged signature? Why are they not revealing the beneficiary of this document? By concealing such a document and engaging in unnecessary media theatrics, they are doing a great disservice to the state and the people.
“The truth of the matter is that only Governor Akeredolu can claim that his signature has been forged. I have personally spoken to the Governor, and he has asked me to emphatically refute this claim. The signature of Mr. Governor is not forged. Please disregard these crisis entrepreneurs. Their real gains are in crisis, not peace.”
