The political unrest in Ondo State appears to be far claims that the acting governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is planning to reshuffle the State Executive Council, amid the absence of ailing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, gaining momentum and further unsettling the Sunshine State.
The claims, which have been denied by aides of the acting governor and cabinet members, have refused to dissipate but appear to be gathering more weight among members of the government, and the ruling to All Progressives Congress (APC).
This, Daily Trust observed, has become the major talking points of Aiyedatiwa’s first week in office as acting governor following the continued absence of Akeredolu, who is facing underlying health challenges and has been flown abroad for medical treatment again.
It was gathered that the rumour of the planned reshuffling has generated anxiety among cabinet members and political actors in the state, who are accusing Aiyedatiwa of planning an act of revenge by staging a fight back on those against him within the government, especially during the struggle to take over power in Akeredolu’s absence.
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While Aiyedatiwa’s first address to the state had called for prayers for the ailing governor and also for all government officials to put the unrest behind them, his decision directing Bola Alabi, the Chief of Protocol (CoP) to Akeredolu, to step aside for his Deputy Chief of Staff, Olusegun Omojuwa, had heightened the tension.
As the government was battling to clarify the acting governor’s position on the change of baton in the circular, another news emerged of the alleged freezing of financial accounts in all 18 local government areas by Aiyedatiwa.
One of the local government officials had hinted that a directive had been issued to the Head of Local Government Administration by the acting governor to stop all financial transactions in the local government accounts.
However, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, quickly denied the reports on the freezing of the local government accounts, describing the allegation as a misrepresentation of fact.
Amid the two purported actions of the acting governor was an allegation thrown on Wednesday by a chieftain of the ruling party in the state, Sola Ajisafe, who accused Aiyedatiwa of plans to reshuffle the members of the State Executive Council (SEC).
Ajisafe, who appeared on a political radio programme in Akure, alleged that the fresh move by Aiyedatiwa was to fight back the cabinet members, noting that the plan was contrary to the agreement reached a fortnight ago with President Bola Tinubu, at the peace meeting held in Abuja.
“I heard it on good authority that the acting governor (Aiyedatiwa) would redeploy the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Princess Oladunni Odu, to the Ministry of Commerce while the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, would be posted to Culture and Tourism,” he said.
As Ajisafe’s accusation continued to generate ripples, a member of the state cabinet, Akin Sowore, said the acting governor had not informed any of the state executive members of plans of reshuffling the cabinet.
Sowore, who is also the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, told Daily Trust that the rumour concerning the cabinet reshuffle by the acting governor was only speculative and being spread by those jittery by the emergence of Aiyedatiwa.
“What I think is happening is that we have some members of the executive that are jittery and as a result, they must have hired Ajisafe to raise such alarm. Maybe if he has such a motive, he won’t do it or they are trying to use that to pre-empt him.
“In an administration like this, a cabinet reshuffle is part of government activities but the discretion to do that lies with the person in the helm of affairs either the governor or the acting governor. But as far as I’m concerned, I’m not aware of such a move. And you should understand that every person who has erred would want to think that the acting governor wants to reshuffle the cabinet.
“So, he has not informed anybody and the way I’m seeing his body language, I’m not seeing him doing that. Since the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, the acting governor has been relating with everybody by trying to bring everyone on board. So, as far as we are concerned, it’s only speculative and he has not discussed with cabinet members that he wants to reshuffle the exco and the acting governor would not do that,” he said.
Adding that the rumour was being orchestrated by those still aggrieved that Aiyedatiwa took over the reign of power in an acting capacity, the commissioner described those spreading the alarm as the marauders who orchestrated the avoidable crisis in the state.
“There are lots of people in juicy places in the cabinet that have messed up and are eating fat from there. They may want to be raising false alarms so that they can protect their job,” Sowore added.
However, a member of the State House of Assembly, who preferred to speak under the condition of anonymity, said the lawmakers won’t mediate in the affairs of the State Executive Council considering the political solution applied to the crisis by President Tinubu at the Abuja peace meeting.
“We are watching how events are unfolding in the cabinet and we don’t want to intervene in the crisis within the executive members. But I know the president (Tinubu) has said that the status quo must remain. So, that decision is what we have worked on and we abide.
“The acting governor should just remember that whatever decision he takes has a great implication on the political solution we arrived on in Abuja at the peace meeting,” he said.
Speaking, a political analyst in the state, Alabi Johnson, told Daily Trust that Aiyedatiwa has the right to hire and fire considering his status as the acting governor following his empowerment by the constitution.
Johnson noted that Aiyedatiwa should be given the chance as the Chief Executive Officer of the state since governor Akeredolu had been incapacitated and wrote the state house of assembly by relinquishing power pending his return.
“So, the acting governor can hire and fire as he is empowered by the law to do so despite being in an acting capacity,” he said.
Also reacting, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alex Kalejaiye said the leadership of the party was not aware of any plans by the acting governor to reshuffle the cabinet in the absence of Akeredolu.
Kalejaiye, who noted that the state needed stability after the intrigues and bricking in the state, explained that President Tinubu’s political solution to the political crisis was still in force.
“It’s a rumour and what the party knows is that by the intervention of the president, it was resolved that the status quo must remain. The acting governor is doing his job and the house of assembly members also remain while the structure of the party remains and that of the exco in the cabinet also remains.
“So, we are not aware of plans to reshuffle any cabinet because what we need for now is stability in the state and if some members of the state cabinet deem it fit to resign later, it would be their decision based on their political ambition but for now, we feel the status quo should remain. We’re not aware of any move by anybody including the acting governor to dissolve the cabinet,” he told Daily Trust.
Several efforts by our correspondent to get the reaction of Aiyedatiwa proved abortive but one of his aides denied the allegation of cabinet reshuffle.
The aide, who preferred to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak officially, told Daily Trust that those peddling rumours of reshuffling the cabinet were only being threatened that Aiyedatiwa took over in an acting capacity.
“You know there’s no one to speak for the acting governor officially now but I can confirm to you that there’s nothing like that. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has no plans of reshuffling the cabinet.
“Honestly, those peddling that rumour by going on the social media and radio stations are only angered that my boss took over as the acting governor and I know he’s going to overcome the storm before him,” he said.
Also, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation in the state, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju when contacted on the phone said she was not aware of the rumour, but added that the cabinet members would soon hold its executive meeting to discuss vital issues in the state.
Recall that the factions in the political crisis in the state last month reached a truce after a meeting brokered and hosted by President Tinubu in Abuja.
Tinubu had summoned stakeholders in the state, including lawmakers, Aiyedatiwa and party stalwarts to Abuja in a bid to diffuse the tension created by the long absence of Akeredolu.
Highlights of the agreement reached with the President was that the political status quo would be sustained in the state while Aiyedatiwa was directed to submit an undated letter of resignation to guarantee that he would not disrupt the political configuration in the state while he runs the government until the full recovery of Akeredolu.
