Defend Yourself Before Ondo Assembly, Akeredolu’s Aide Replies Aiyedatiwa

The Senior Special Assistance on Special, Duties, and Strategy, Dr. Doyin Odebowale, has asked the state deputy governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, to go and defend himself before the state House of Assembly rather than begging Governor Akeredolu for forgiveness.

Odebowale, in a statement issued and made available to LEADERSHIP in Akure, the state capital on Thursday, said: “Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, does not meddle in the affairs of the House of Assembly of Ondo State, as subtly suggested at the press conference.”

Aiyedatiwa had on Thursday tendered an apology to his principal, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, saying “I am deeply saddened by the embarrassment and discomfort that Mr. Governor has faced due to the barrage of negative news in the State as a result of the events of the last few months.”

Reacting to Aiyedatiwa’s statement, Odebowale said “There has never been any time when the Governor “persuaded” the “distinguished members of Ondo State House of Assembly to embrace the political solution offered” by the All Progressives Congress (APC), “in the face of an impeachment move against” the Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa.”

According to him, “The Governor, a Senior Advocate of over two decades, possesses a deep understanding of constitutional democracy. Any snide suggestion of meddlesomeness in the business of the second arm of government by the Governor is repudiated with vehemence. Mr Governor cannot descend too low.”

His words: ” It is interesting to read that the Deputy Governor also distanced himself from all groups and platforms notorious for maligning the Governor, members of his family, and all those perceived as his close allies and supporters, in recent times.

“More instructive is the unfortunate reference made to “a series of events triggered by the health challenges faced by Mr Governor, which gave rise to misunderstandings, misconceptions, assumptions, and insinuations, and exploited by political contenders preparing for the upcoming 2024 gubernatorial election.

“The good people of Ondo State are too discerning to be hoodwinked with dissembling equivocation. Keen observers of events, as they have been unfolding in the State, cannot miss the import of the malicious intents, insensitive posturing, and diabolical projections of the last six months in the Government of the Sunshine State.

“The major sponsors of these acts of subterfuge should be ashamed of themselves. The very suggestion that these brazen and shameless acts of moral turpitude happened without the knowledge of the projected, most prominent beneficiary and active enabler of this disgrace, should make meaning to those who towed this path of infamy.

“The best respect that all elected and appointed officials of the Government can display to the people should find expression in the unconditional reverence for the institution which represents them.

“The Deputy Governor referred to the allegations of malfeasance leveled against him by the House of Assembly as “all sorts of lies against my person in the media”. It is only decent that we advise him to take this defence to the same House of Assembly which came up with 14 allegations of gross misconduct against him.”