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Tag: Ondo Deputy Governor

  • Ondo Assembly makes move to impeach deputy governor

    Ondo Assembly makes move to impeach deputy governor

    The Ondo State House of Assembly has explained that the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has disregarded the impeachment notice he was served in response to allegations of gross misconduct levelled against him.

    Olamide Oladiji, the Speaker of the Assembly, emphasized that the notice served on Aiyedatiwa was received by his Chief Protocol Officer.

    Oladiji noted that the action was undertaken in accordance with Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, which stipulates the necessary procedures for such matters.

    He further explained that despite making concerted efforts to deliver the notice to the deputy governor, he was unavailable for service.

    He further added that the Assembly had to resort to legal measures, seeking a court order for substituted service on the deputy governor.

    “On the 25th of September, a substituted service of the notice of allegations was made to the deputy governor, duly signed by more than one-third of the Honourable Members of the House as required by the Constitution in Section 188 Sub-section 2,” he said.

    According to him, the Constitution stipulates that the Assembly should wait for seven days for the embattled deputy governor to respond, which has lapsed.

    Meanwhile, the state Assembly has told the Chief Judge of the State to constitute a panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Aiyedatiwa.

     

  • Why I won’t resign as Akeredolu’s deputy – Agboola Ajayi

    Why I won’t resign as Akeredolu’s deputy – Agboola Ajayi

    Mr. Agboola Ajayi has ruled out the option of resigning from his position as deputy governor of Ondo State despite pressure from his boss Rotimi Akeredolu.

    Ajayi, who was candidate of Zenith Labour Party in the October 10, 2020 governorship election in Ondo State, said he remains the deputy governor till 23rd February 2021 because Ondo people who voted him in 2016 have not requested for his resignation.

    He made his position clear on the issue on Tuesday through a statement by his media aide, Allen Sowore.

    The statement reads, “The deputy governor was elected together with Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) by the good people of Ondo State in 2016. That four years mandate given to both men will not end until 23rd February 2021.

    “The news of his impending resignation is being sponsored by the governor through the propaganda machinery and machinations of Ondo State Ministry of Information as a subterfuge in preparation for a macabre plan to put the deputy governor’s forged signature on a prepared resignation letter.

    “The general public should be wary of these latest antics and desperation of the governor to remove his deputy by all means and at any cost illegally.

    “The people of Ondo State, who voted for Agboola Ajayi as deputy governor in 2016 have not asked him to resign or quit the government.

    “Therefore, he has no reason whatsoever to relinquish the people’s mandate, which of course is limited by term/time, democratically bestowed upon him.”

  • Ondo 2020: My deputy is highest paid in Nigeria, yet he betrayed me – Akeredolu

    Ondo 2020: My deputy is highest paid in Nigeria, yet he betrayed me – Akeredolu

    Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has said he ignored warnings about his deputy, Agboola Ajayi and ensured he was well paid to make him comfortable.

    He said he gave him free hands to operate but was later betrayed .

    The governor, who spoke at a radio programme in Akure, said his deputy does not want to be patient.

    “No deputy governor has collected what he was collecting in the history of the state. I gave him N13million monthly. His predecessors did not collect as much as that. No deputy governor collects as much as that in Nigeria. I gave him enough room to operate, yet he betrayed me.”

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that both incumbent governor Akeredolu and his estranged deputy, Agboola are candidates in the October 10 governorship election in the state. While Akeredolu is APC candidate, Agboola is Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate.

  • Ondo Deputy Gov to Akeredolu: Hand over to me in 21 days or…

    Ondo Deputy Gov to Akeredolu: Hand over to me in 21 days or…

    Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has said that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has 21 days to hand over power to him or the constitution would be invoked.

    Governor Akeredolu, who is currently receiving treatment for COVID-19, had on Friday vowed that he would not hand over to his Deputy in acting capacity.

    Speaking through his Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, Akeredolu said his Deputy was the greatest threat to his administration and has since left the ruling All Progressives Congress.

    But the Deputy Governor said it was ignorance to proclaim that Governor Akeredolu would not hand over running of government to him because of political differences.

    He stated that the venoms and vetuperations from Ojogo in the desire and to desecrate his constitutionally established showed the excruciating pains and whammies his exit has caused the ruling party.

    The Deputy Governor who spoke through his Media Adviser, Comrade Allen Sowore, said Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) was apposite in this circumstances even as he continues to pray for Akeredolu’s quickest recovery.

    He said the Governor was at liberty to handover or not within 21 days after which the constitution becomes operational.

    According to him, “Refusal and failure of Mr Governor to handover the running of government to his deputy while in self isolation and temporarily incapacitated underscore his absolute disregard for the rule of law; a spite on the people and a direct assault on the provisions of the constitution which he swore to uphold.

    “Not only that, his deliberate obstacles to ensure that government continues to run while he’s in self isolation as a result of the fact that he has been tested positive for the COVID-19 puts lips service to his hypocratic war against the ravaging pandemic.

    “Our candid advice is that the energy decipates to pull down the office and person of the deputy governor should be channelled towards resolving the lingering crisis in the health sector particularly, the current strike embarked on by medical practitioners in the state, in the middle of this pandemic. Nobody will take us seriously when doctors are on strike and yet we pretend to be fighting a pandemic. It will only indicates that we’re taking the health of the people for granted.

    “The Deputy Governor has a track record of performance in the various offices he has held – first as supervisory Councillor, LG Chairman, Member of the National Assembly – where he served as the chairman of the House Committee on NDDC and even now as the Deputy Governor.

    “Nothing serves as threat to good governance than the current nepotism and lackadaisical attitude towards the prioritisation of people’s welfare.

    “It’s imperative to inform the general public that, Mr Governor and members of his kitchen cabinet have deliberately barred the Deputy Governor from all government activities as all the daily itinerary and work schedules released from Chief Of Protocols, have not allocated any function or duty to the person or office of the Deputy Governor in recent time.

    “The Deputy Governor empathises with the good people of Ondo State, at this critical period of our statehood that Mr Governor has decided to personalise administration and governance of our dear state.”

  • Ondo Deputy Gov reappoints aides sacked by Akeredolu

    Ondo Deputy Gov reappoints aides sacked by Akeredolu

    The crisis in Ondo State took a new turn after the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi reappointed aides sacked by the Governor, Romiti Akeredolu.

    Governor Akeredolu sacked the Special Assistant on New Media to the embattled Deputy Governor, Allen Sowore, and later sacked his Chief Press Secretary, Babatope Okeowo alongside his five other aides, and his wife.

    The aides of the Deputy Governor were sacked two days after their boss dumped the ruling, All Progressives Congress, APC for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    In an interview with newsmen, the embattled Chief Press Secretary, Okeowo affirmed that the deputy governor had reappointed all the aides sacked by the State Governor.

    “ Yes, it is true that the governor announced our sack, but there is no cause for alarm, as we have been reabsorbed by the Deputy Governor”.

    Recall that on Sunday, Ajayi quit the APC, following protracted friction between him and the governor, and subsequently picked the membership card of the PDP.

  • Ondo senator welcomes Deputy Governor, Ajayi to PDP

    Ondo senator welcomes Deputy Governor, Ajayi to PDP

    Sen. Nicholas Tofowomo (PDP-Ondo) has formally welcomed the state Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ajayi on June 21 decamped from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to PDP and received his PDP membership card at his Apoi Ward 2 in Ese Odo Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

    Tofowomo in a statement by his media aide, Mr Olumide Akinrinlola on Tuesday in Okitipupa said that the deputy governor has joined the moving train of PDP from the APC.

    “Let me join my voice in welcoming the state deputy governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi into the moving train of the PDP from the APC,” he said.

    Tofowomo commended the national leadership of PDP under Prince Uche Secondus for providing a level plain ground to all governorship aspirants in the state ahead of the party’s primaries.

    “As a Senator of the Federal Republic, I owe it a responsibility to commend the national leadership of PDP under Secondus, over its commitment to provide a level plain ground to all the governorship aspirants for the primaries.

    ”There is no doubt that the statement made by Secondus during the reception of the deputy governor into our party, has cleared the air over unnecessary insinuation about a possible automatic ticket,” Tofowomo said.

  • [TNG Analysis] Ondo 2020: Another wrong signal from APC as Agboola Ajayi shifts base to PDP

    [TNG Analysis] Ondo 2020: Another wrong signal from APC as Agboola Ajayi shifts base to PDP

    Ondo and Edo States seem to have their political navels enjoined as they tend to share same political affinity.

    The defection of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s deputy, Hon Agboola Ajayi to the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP clearly indicates that just like Edo all is not well in Ondo APC.

    Going down memory lane in 2007 when the then President Umaru Yar’dua and the PDP party felt the election that brought it into power was flawed, the need to trade some states came to fore.

    In Ondo Olusegun Agagu had emerged governor and in Edo Senator Oserheimen Osunbor too had defeated Adams Oshiomhole of the ACN.

    PDP probably feeling guilty concorted all manners of judicial methods alongside some political leaders and traded both states.

    By the end of 2008, Oshiomhole and Olusegun Mimiko of Labour Party, LP had emerged governors of both states.

    Oshiomhole ensured he crushed all those that brought him to power and even went to Ogbe Stadium to bury apostle of godfatherism in the state, the Late political sage, Chief Tony Anenih who supported him through the backdoor.

    Both states are already being haunted by the ghosts of political and judicial manouvres of 2007 through 2008.

    Last Sunday, Agboola decided to finally jump ship by pitching tent with PDP leaving behind Akeredolu that they both had a joint ticket in the APC, a clear signal that the APC is no longer at ease in Ondo just like Edo.

    This is coming exactly one week after Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki dumped the APC pitching his tent with the PDP.

    The APC at the national level is facing leadership crisis as it has not been able to pick an acting chairman after Oshiomhole was suspended by the Appeal Court after his screening committee disqualified Obaseki from partaking in the APC guber primary in the state.

    In the case of Agboola, he has not been suspended or disqualified but sensing the danger ahead and the envisaged outcome of whatever structure the APC put in place the man simply shifted his base to PDP.

    Agboola is said to enjoy top grassroots followership in the state which he used to support Akeredolu in the last guber polls in the Sunshine State.

    If he gets the PDP final nod, the APC that is already having cracks at both state and national levels may just wave bye bye to both states just the way PDP deliberately sold them to the opposition in 2007.