There could be a new insight into the perceptible political rift between Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as news of a cold war amongst the duo persists in the media.
This came as an aide to the governor accused Mr. Aiyedatiwa of neglecting governance for politics while he was acting governor.
Recall that Governor Akeredolu transferred power to Mr. Aiyedatiwa to serve as acting governor before he proceeded on a medical vacation in Europe.
The governor stayed away for three months until last week, when he returned from his medical treatment.
However, since Akeredolu’s return, there has been an alleged squabble between him and Aiyedetiwa, which the latter has repeatedly denied.
On Tuesday, as reported by MUK TV, the governor sacked the media aides of the deputy governor, an action that fueled speculation about their political rift.
Responding to the news of the sacking while appearing on Channels’ TV Politics Today on Wednesday evening, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Doyin Odebowale, said political shenanigans whittled down governance in the state while Mr. Aiyedatiwa held sway as acting governor.
He alleged that the political ambitions of some people in Akeredolu’s cabinet, whom he refused to name, distracted governance during the period.
“I can tell you for free that when the governor was away, there was little governance in Ondo State. People wanted to be governor. It is within their right, but they were distracting us and were recruiting people to be distracting us.”
Mr. Odebowale further expressed disappointment at the desperation of the deputy governor’s camp, accusing them of disseminating information that the governor is incapacitated.
“There were postings of the obituary of the governor more than five times. They wanted power, not to serve the people; they were overheating the political system.
“They created the impression that the governor was not in charge of anything. They picked on the first family,” he said.
