Ondo APC advises Deputy Governor to resign
– Steve Ovirih.
Following the defection of the Ondo state Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi to the People’s Democratic party (PDP) from All Progressives Congress under which joint ticket, he and his Principal, Gov Akeredolu came to government in 2016, the APC in Ondo state has asked the defected Deputy Governor to resign his post honourably as he no longer has the locust standi to share the honourable office having jumped boat mid course to the opposition party.
APC Publicity secretary, Alex Kalejaye while speaking with the press at the party’s Secretariat noted that Agboola Ajayi has shot himself in the leg by assuming that he can take the mandate of the All Progressives Congress freely given to him to serve as the Deputy Governor to the opposition party. He said what was expected of a honourable politician of Agboola’s caliber was to vacate that office having dumped the party from which he pulled the strength to become a Deputy Governor. Kalelajaye said the All Progressives Congress cannot allow the former member of APC to remain on the seat from the opposition party, hence the advice to him to quit with his honor intact as that will be the least expected of him.
Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi had resigned membership of APC in a letter he addressed to the chairman of APC in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo state after which he had gone over the weekend to officially obtain the membership card of the PDP at his home ward, Kiribo in Ese Odo Local Government.
However, the Deputy Governor had maintained that he will not be forced to resign his office, noting that the electorate voted him as Deputy Governor and not APC, thus the mandate he enjoys as the Deputy Governor he holds in trust for the people of Ondo state and not any political party, stressing that he will continue to hold fort this collective mandate of the good people of Ondo state.
In a related development, the government of Ondo state has sacked politically appointed aides of His Excellency, Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu assigned to the office of the Deputy Governor. The Deputy Governor’s aides numbering seven , it was gathered, were invited to the office of the Chief of Staff for a meeting and a briefing on their reassignment to other functions of government but failed to attend the all important meeting. Statement made available to the press from the office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Segun Ajiboye said, the government considered it an open affront for aides on the payroll of the state government to flagrantly disobey official order , indicating that by their failure to attend the meeting they have shown where there interest lie, stressing that the government cannot and will not condone insubordination. While asking them to hand over all government property in their custody, government thanked them for contributing their quota in the time they served the state and wished them success in their future endeavors.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor , Agboola Ajayi had asked all the sacked aides attached to his office to consider themselves as his personal aides wether Ondo state government sacked them or not, noting that he will personally continue to retain their services as his support staff. The Deputy Governor said as long as he still remains as the Deputy Governor of the state, he will continue to require the services of these aides who had worked assiduously to ensure the success of his beat as the state Deputy Governor in the past three and half years.
Among the sacked aides of the Deputy Governor are Mr. Allen Sowore, Mr. Sam Ogunmusi, and others.
