The brand new Governor of Ondo State, Mr Fortunate Aiyedatiwa, has denied plans to dissolve the management of the ruling All Progressives Congress within the state.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, informed The PUNCH that his principal had no such plan.
“I don’t assume so; I’m not conscious of such a plan, it’s not true,” Adeniyan mentioned in response to a press release on Sunday by a gaggle, the Ondo Elite Group, warning Aiyedatiwa in opposition to tampering with the prevailing APC political construction of the state.
The PUNCH reviews that Aiyedatiwa moved from being Ondo State’s appearing governor to turning into the substantive governor on December 27, 2023, following the loss of life of his principal, former governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Akeredolu died after a protracted battle with prostate most cancers, which saved him away from the state for a lot of months, with the opposition get together pressuring him to relinquish energy and give attention to his well being.
Amid the illness, the connection between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa broke down whereas the state Home of Meeting plotted the deputy governor’s impeachment.
Aiyedatiwa survived the impeachment plot following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
Since he grew to become substantive governor, there had been concern that he would possibly go after Akeredolu’s loyalists, a few of whom instantly resigned their appointments within the cupboard.
Nevertheless, in his maiden tackle, Aiyedatiwa promised to proceed from the place his predecessor stopped, calling on all of the stakeholders to affix him in sustaining the legacy of the late former governor.
However in a press release on Saturday, the Ondo Elite Group referred to as on Aiyedatiwa to not change the APC political construction within the state, warning that such a transfer would spell doom for the get together within the governorship election arising later this yr.
The group’s Common Secretary, Chief Yemi Oladiran, mentioned pressure was steadily brewing within the Ondo APC over an alleged plan to oust and substitute the get together management within the state to swimsuit their candidate within the subsequent election.
Oladiran mentioned, “Dissolution of the state govt of the get together will negate the settlement Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa signed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu throughout the disaster that engulfed the state over the friction between the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa.
“What we’re guarding in opposition to is a repeat of what occurred in Zamfara State; we can’t enable this to occur in Ondo State as a result of we play the sport by the principles and are guided by the structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We should go into the following election as one united household.”
Oladiran mentioned the group was pleased with the management of the Ondo APC chairman, Ade Adetimehin, warning that “tampering with the current management within the state get together or the exco can be counterproductive and spell doom for the get together.”
“The understanding between the manager members of Ondo APC and the federal government is cordial and we should always go into this election as one.
“We’re pleased with the management of the state chairman, Ade Adetimehin. He has been capable of stabilise the get together since he grew to become the chairman of the get together. No person adjustments a successful crew, the current management has two extra years to finish its time period. They need to be allowed to usher in a brand new governor after the November election,” Oladiran mentioned.
In the meantime, the APC Stakeholders within the Ondo West Native Authorities Space of Ondo State suggested Aiyedatiwa to be strategic and conscientious in selecting his deputy.
The group additionally urged him to select a younger and vibrant particular person from the Ondo West LGA because the deputy.
Talking in Ondo city on the matter, the chief of the group, Adekunle Fela, mentioned all of the APC stakeholders within the native authorities had endorsed a chieftain of the get together, Dr Thomas Akinwolere to be picked because the deputy governor, calling on Aiyedatiwa to contemplate their selection.
He mentioned, “It has grow to be essential for us to problem this emergency press convention as a method of calling the eye of the newly sworn-in Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency Fortunate Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, to issues that have an effect on our pricey state.
“Following the unlucky lack of our nice icon and chief, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, it has grow to be our collective duty to make sure that the great folks of Ondo State proceed to take pleasure in good governance with none hitches. It’s to this impact that we congratulate the erstwhile Deputy Governor who has now been sworn in as Govt Governor, in particular person of Governor Fortunate Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
“Nevertheless, we should additionally use this medium to speak to the governor that he should be strategic and conscientious within the collection of who will emerge as his deputy governor.
Prior to now, we’ve got made it identified that whoever will likely be chosen to deputise the brand new governor, should be chosen from Ondo city and should even be a youth who understands the dynamics of our nice get together and can also be keen about public service.
“Therefore, all get together devoted, stalwarts and stakeholders in Ondo West of Ondo Central Senatorial District, Ondo State have agreed on the selection of our son, Akinwolere Babajide Thomas, popularly often called Apata, to emerge as the following deputy governor of Ondo State for the remaining a part of this administration.”