The Ondo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Ade Adetimehin, has refuted the insinuation that the firing of the media aide of the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, would hurt the party in the state.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Richard Olatunde, announced the sack of the affected media aides on Tuesday.
Speaking on Wednesday, the state APC Chairman said the party was not shaken following the sack of the media aides and could not affect the chance of the party winning the 2024 governorship election in the state.
Adetimehin said, “This has nothing to do with our party, we are waxing stronger every day. Those people who were sacked were the governor’s appointees and he can fire them at any time he wishes. Any appointee can be fired at any time it is a normal thing in government. It is not a party matter and it can’t affect our party in any way.”
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has asked Akeredolu to come back to the state, noting that the governor should stop working from his residence in Ibadan.
The Publicity Secretary of the party, Kennedy Peretei stated this on Wednesday.
He said, “What Akeredolu has done by sacking the media aides of his deputy is simply a manifestation of the cacophony in the APC ahead of the 2024 governorship election in the state.
“However, Akeredolu should come to Ondo State and settle down to the business of governance instead of chasing perceived enemies in his government.”
According to the governor’s CPS statement, the affected aides include Press Secretary to the Governor, Kenneth Odusola; Special Assistant to Governor (New Media) Okunniga Oladipupo; and Special Assistant to the Governor (Photography) Abayomi Samson Adefolalu.
The Ministry of Information and Orientation was directed to provide adequate coverage for the activities of the deputy’s governor office, according to the statement.
The affected aides were said to have been involved in some acts of insubordination and showing disloyalty to Governor Akeredolu during his overseas medical vacation.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser on Special Duty and Strategy to Akeredolu, Doyin Odebowale, has provided an insight on what may have led to the decision to sack all the media aides of the Deputy Governor.
Odebowale, who appeared on a live television programme, said that a little governance happened while Akeredolu was away for medical treatment.
He noted that there was a lot of distraction by some people who want to contest the upcoming Ondo governorship election.
He noted that the Governor employed everyone and only him has the powers to fire them any time he wants.
According to him, “Only the Governor and his deputy enjoy immunity and there’s a laid down procedure on how either of them can be removed from office. Any other person is expendable.
“Any other person owes his or her appointment to the Governor. At his pleasure, with good or bad reason he may decide to remove you.
“They were appointed for a purpose and if they did not discharge the duty of the offices for which they were appointed, the Governor reserves the right to ask them to go.
“The Governor is not interested in this petty politics people have reduced the whole state to in his absence.
“When he was away, there was little governance. People wanting to contest, they want to be governor, they want to be this, they want to be that. It’s within their rights but they were distracting us and recruiting people to be distracting us.
“The Governor is not petty. They wanted power; they were posting the obituary of the Governor more than five times.
“No governor can watch that happen… Let them allow him to die first.”
