I Am Not Late Akeredolu’s Sworn Enemy, Says Ondo Deputy Gov

The Ondo State deputy governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami, has denied being a sworn enemy to the late governor of the state, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

Adelami was reacting to the claim by the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus in the House of Representatives in a letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that he was a sworn enemy of late Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu.

He said he would have ignored the “utter hokum but it is imperative to set the record straight for the reading audience, especially seeing a recent publication by some section of the media.”

In a statement issued by Adelami’s chief press secretary, John Paul Akinduro, on Friday, the deputy governor said: “the oft-repeated fallacy that His Excellency, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa hobnobs with Late Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s sworn enemies is becoming excessively irksome and prattle.”

Adelami further stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, this concocted and malicious statement is not only untrue in its entirety but a mischief by these ‘honorable’.

“Chief Adelami was never an enemy of the late governor nor any other political player in Ondo state or elsewhere. The Deputy Governor is a decent politician and philanthropist with verifiable track records.

“It is instructive to note that Chief Adelami has always been a strong member of the APC and staunch supporter and dependable ally of late Governor Akeredolu for eons.

“Worthy of mention is the fact that the deputy governor gave moral, political, and financial support to the late governor during the electioneering campaigns, leading to his first and second terms in office and, subsequently rendered the same support all through his tenure as governor of Ondo state.

“It is also remarkable that after losing the governorship primaries to the late Arakunrin Akeredolu, SAN in 2020, Chief Adelami joined the campaign train and walked alongside the late governor as he moved around the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo state. This cannot be the same Adelami and Akeredolu the misleading statement described as ‘they did not see eye to eye’

“On record, was the donation of 5,000 copies of the APC constitution to the party, branding of Face caps and T-shirts with the inscription ‘Adelami Support Group for Aketi’, among many other items, which were received by the party chieftains, led by the State Chairman, Engr Ade Adetimehin, to support the re-election campaign of the late governor in 2020.

“Also on the ground to witness the handing over of these items was the late Governor, his then running mate, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan, Ambassador Sola Iji, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde (Abena), Chief Gbenga Ale, and Hon. Timehin Adelegbe, whose signature also appeared in the published caucus letter.

“These facts are well established and available in the public domain as evidenced by one of the press releases authored by the Late Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Richard Olatunde, on September 16, 2020, titled ‘ONDO 2020: ADELAMI HANDS OVER CAMPAIGN OFFICE, STRUCTURE TO GOVERNOR AKEREDOLU’ with the rider, ‘No Vacancy in Alagbaka, Our Unity Unprecedented in the History of Political Parties – Gov Akeredolu’

“However, as the governorship election draws nigh, it is not uncommon to experience this type of political tendency and pull-him-down syndrome by some detractors, who are threatened by the combination of Governor Aiyedatiwa and his Deputy, Chief Adelami, to pilot the affairs of the sunshine state.

“We urge the good people of Ondo state and fellow Nigerians to continue to support the APC-led, forward-thinking government of His Excellency, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa. So that Ondo state will continue to flourish.”