Ondo Leadership Bickering: Ajulo alleges officials signing documents in Akeredolu’s name, Tinubu’s intervention a mistake

Kayode Ajulo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria on Monday, alleged that some officials in the administration of the Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu were signing documents on behalf of the ailing governor.

The Principal Partner of Kayode Ajulo & Co. Castle of Law, made this startling revelations Monday on ARISE Television’s Morning Show programme.

According to him, the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, cannot take over from the governor since power has not been transferred to him constitutionally, making way for the hijack of state apparatus by the cabal.

He said, “I have it on good authority as a lawyer. Some of the commissioners, about five of them, sent memos to the governor, and they all returned with approval.

“Going through the approval compared to what the governor had approved when he was hale (sic) and hearty, there are notable disparities in them.

“The Police and Administration of Justice Act has made it clear that there can be private investigators into the issue as such, and they have been contacted, but their results after the investigation are so damning.

“The purported signature is not from the governor. It is so apparent.”

He maintained that the doctrine of necessity, which allowed the deputy governor to take over the reign of power till the governor resumes office should be triggered.

“Why are some people sitting on the provisional constitutions? It is obvious that some people are holding the state by the jugular and using the present situation to loot the state’s wealth.

“DSS recently has been going around. Other security agencies should embrace the same. Questions bordering on the missing N7.5 billion in the state should be asked, and who gave the approval should not be left out.

Ajulo noted that there is a presumption that the governor is incapacitated, adding that the only way to counter that is to present him (Akeredolu).

“The governor owes it a duty to speak with his people if he can since his health status is being funded with the same taxpayers’ money, or he should do the necessary constitutional duties, which is to delegate power to his deputy.

“His deputy was selected by him and possibly his party members before he ran for office. I don’t think he would have selected someone he had no trust in,” he added.

Recall on November 25, President Bola Tinubu waded into the months-long leadership crisis asking opposing factions to embrace peace and maintain the status quo.

This was as the Deputy Governor pledged to carry all commissioners and officials along in handling the state’s affairs, and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Oladiji Olamide, resolved to halt all impeachment moves against Aiyedatiwa.

Aiyedatiwa, who declared his decision to maintain the status quo and unite all the warring factions, said, “I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go and also let God, just as the President has advised us.

“And I want to say that no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I’ve survived it and every other thing in his past.”

But Ajulo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, in the ARISE interview on Monday faulted the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the Ondo leadership flaw contending that the President may not have carried the Attorney General along.

“I say this with the fact that President Bola Tinubu today happens to have one of the best lawyers as the Attorney General, as a chief law officer that should advise him.

“This is someone I have high regard for. I am very sure and I want to believe he is not being carried along to advise him properly,” adding, “The President has made a mistake. The President should have allowed the constitutional provisions to take its course. Ondo State people are sophisticated. The right thing needs to be done.”