The Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has expressed regret over his decision to appoint Hon Agboola Ajayi as his deputy, saying that it was a big mistake.
Akeredolu and Ajayi, who were once close associates and are cousins, have been at loggerhead since the latter signified intention to contest the governorship election, which Akeredolu is also interested in.
The clash of interest between the two of them led to the recent defection of Ajayi from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he (Ajayi) is contesting the governorship election.
Governor Akeredolu while addressing Ajayi’s kinsmen during a campaign tour to Igbekebo, headquarters of Ese-Odo Local Government Area over the weekend, said he regretted appointing Ajayi as his deputy.
He said despite criticism and attacks from various quarters, he had thought he had made a good choice lamenting that the decision eventually turned out to be a wrong choice.
But reacting through his Press Secretary, Babatope Okeowo, the deputy governor said Governor Akeredolu’s ranting was largely because of his inability to remove him illegally.
Ajayi said Akeredolu had failed to remove him illegally through the instrumentality of the House of Assembly despite allegedly inducing some of them to do so with state funds.
“Also understand the self-inflicted pain of running the state aground through the inflated contract, clannishness and malfeasance through the N4.3 billion kept in secret account of Zenith Bank and disbursed without legislative approval”.
According to him, these and many injuries Governor Akeredolu caused himself cannot be blamed on his deputy who he had sidelined for the past three and half years.
Ajayi recalled that it must be put on record that Akeredolu contested in 2012 governorship election and came a distant third in the election won by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of Labour Party.
He said it was the experience, weight and political capital (he Ajayi) that brought into the 2016 gubernatorial election that produced the current All Progressives Congress (APC) led government in the state.
He submitted that if there was any wrong choice, it was Governor Akeredolu who has refused to take all-wise counsel not only from his deputy but by senior citizens of Ondo state, and destroyed the economy of the state and cornered her resources for few cronies and family members.
