Akeredolu’s Aide Blast Government Officials Over Poor Governance in Governor’s Absence 

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Special Duties and Strategy, Doyin Odebowale has said during the three-month absence of Akeredolu, the  State government officials deprived residents of the best possible administration. 

Odebowale stated this during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. His comment comes six days after the governor returned from his medical trip abroad 

“I can tell you for free, yes, when he was away, there was little of governance.”  

“People wanting to contest – yes, they want to be governor, they want to be this, they want to be that. It is within their right but they were distracting us and they were recruiting people.”

Odebowale emphasized that the welfare of the people should come first in government and that politicians should put their political ambitions on hold to serve the public interest. 

“The governor is not interested in these petty politics that people have reduced the whole state to in his absence,” he added.

The remarks follow rumours of a falling out between Akeredolu and Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, which followed the governor’s decision to dissolve his deputy’s media team and order each member to turn in whatever government property they had immediately.

“Talking about their relationship, I know the governor and the deputy still met a few days ago. There’s no problem at all,” Odebowale said in reassurance.

Asked if Aiyedatiwa is in the running for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the special duties aide said, “He has not told me so; he has not told anybody so”.

“But because we are in this state, we know that certain members of this cabinet are contesting and some people who are outside too want to contest and that is legitimate,” he added.

Considering that Akeredolu’s second term would conclude in around 17 months, a vote to select his successor is anticipated to take place in the second half of 2024.