Feb 16, 2024

The Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the House of Representatives has written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, accusing the governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of creating a crisis in the party in the state.

The governor was also accused of exhibiting disdain for his predecessor, the late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The open letter to President Tinubu was signed by six lawmakers, namely, Adesida Abiodun Cornelius (Akure North/South), Timehin Adelegbe (Owo/Ose), Festus Ayodele (Ileoluji-Okeigbo/Odigbo), Ojogo Donald (Ilaje/Ese-Odo), Odimayo Okunjimi (Okitipupa/Irele), and Adegboyega Adefarati (Akoko South West/South East).

Addressing journalists in Abuja on the intent of the letter, leader of the caucus, Mr Adesida called on the President to intervene by calling the new governor to order before he ignites a crisis that would cost the party the forthcoming 2024 governorship poll in the state.

He said since his swearing-in as governor, Mr Aiyedatiwa had made a series of decisions that indicated his animosity towards the late Akeredolu and his lack of concern for the party’s growth in the state.

The lawmakers told the president that the governor has been associating with arch political enemies of his late predecessor and even cozying up to the opposition party.

“The Deputy Governor appointed by Mr. Aiyedatiwa is a well-known political adversary of the late Governor. Despite hailing from Owo, they never saw eye to eye during the late Governor’s lifetime. Olajide Adelami caused a great deal of trouble for the late Akeredolu during his bid for re-election in 2020 to which you were committed.

“Furthermore, it has become common knowledge in the state that Mr. Aiyedatiwa has aligned himself with every disgruntled and established political enemy of the late Akeredolu. As an example, the appointment of Kola Olawoye, a suspended APC member and former Attorney General of the state, as Aiyedatiwa’s campaign coordinator in Owo has been widely condemned by loyal party members, particularly in Owo,” the letter read.

He also said recent events have revealed Governor Aiyedatiwa’s apparent eagerness to erase the legacy of the late Akeredolu and had been assuming credit for the successes and achievements of the deceased.

According to the lawmakers, the announcement of the payment of N35,000 palliative allowance for civil servants and the settlement of January 2017 salary arrears, which were previously approved by the late Governor Akeredolu, were erroneously presented as early actions taken by Governor Aiyedatiwa.

Mr Adesida further said Mr Aiyedatiwa proceeded to dissolve the entire local government structure, including chairmen, councilors, and all government aides and appointees, adding that it was a calculated move aimed at erasing the footprints of his late boss, and has left the party in a state of disarray.

“Mr. President, the Governor has created a significant divide and caused discord among party members. Currently, the party’s state chairman, Ade Adetimehin, is being marginalised and sidelined. To make matters worse, Mr Aiyedatiwa has resorted to sending his proxies to warn the chairman and pressure him into resigning. It is a bad situation, sir.

“There is a growing divide within our party; and it is occasioned by the seed of enmity sown by Governor Aiyedatiwa. Those who were once loyal to Akeredolu have been sidelined, while individuals from the opposition who aligned with Mr. Aiyedatiwa in the fight against the late Akeredolu, demanding that he relinquished power to Aiyedatiwa when he was sick, now hold significant positions within the government and party,” the letter further read.

The lawmakers disclosed that their primary concern is to prevent Ondo State from falling into the hands of the opposition due to internal conflict. They stressed the urgent need for decisive and unifying leadership in this trying period for the party.

“The decision made by Aiyedatiwa to dissolve the Ondo State Executive Council has raised concerns and is being criticised as ill-conceived, imprudent, and misguided on multiple fronts. One of the main criticisms is the perceived rush behind the decision. Many questioned why the Governor couldn’t wait until the final burial of Akeredolu before taking such a drastic step.

“It is our hope that Ondo, the Sunshine state, will be saved from further turmoil, and that the APC’s influence in the state will not wane. As representatives of the good people of Ondo State in the National Assembly, we pray that your Presidency will be guided by divine wisdom, resulting in remarkable development, peace, prosperity and renewed hope for all Nigerians,” the lawmakers added.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Ondo East/Ondo West federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Abiola Makinde has dissociated himself from the open letter to the president.

Mr Makinde, in a statement on Friday, said those behind the letter want to create a fake crisis within the party in the state.

“I wouldn’t have responded to the sudden letter purportedly written and signed by five Members of the House of Representatives from Ondo state against Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa if they hadn’t made the mistake of letting it look like one emanating from Ondo state caucus in the Green chambers, but signed by just five of them. I want history to be kind to me, hence, the need to clarify issues,” he said.

“With due respect to my colleagues, I think this letter has revealed those who intend to create a crisis in the party rather than averting it. That lawmakers, who are leaders in their own constituencies, would suddenly wake up to protect the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who they abandoned when he was alive, is self-defeating.

“Since the death of the former governor, this caucus has not deemed it fit to pay a condolence visit to his family, but they claim to now love him in death more than when he was alive. What was the role of the caucus during the inglorious days of thick politics that nearly brought down our state last year? How many letters did we write to the president to save the state from those who deliberately clogged it? It took the personal intervention of the President to resolve the political crisis in the state last year, but these lawmakers were nowhere to be found in that process,” the statement read.

Mr Makinde noted that it was easy to dissect the purported statement that the lawmakers’ complaints are not about Ondo State or her people, but about the coming governorship election.

He stressed that while there is a known aspirant among the five that wrote the letter, all of them are supporting different aspirants.

“Adesida, leader of the caucus, is angling to be the running mate of one of the governorship aspirants in the state. Odimayo is a governorship aspirant. Adelegbe is the Director General of the campaign of another governorship aspirant, Mayowa Akinfolarin while Akinfiranye is the Director General of the campaign of another aspirant, Wale Akinterinwa, who is his kinsman.

“Therefore, it is easy to see where the truth lies in all of this. There is nothing honourable in being bonded to fight a common enemy who you think is ahead. I will never join such,” he added.

Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Alex Kalejaiye, in his reaction, said there were misgivings which were raised in a meeting with the governor. He noted that all the issues were resolved and the governor promised to address all concerns.

“Right now, the party is united and there is no conflict between the party and the state government. So, the party is prepared for the coming election and you can see that many people from the opposition are defecting to the APC,” Mr Kalejaiye said.

Efforts to get the governor’s media aides to respond to the allegation were unfruitful. Several calls made to his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, were not answered.

– newspaper reports