… I am not bothered, says Ajayi
Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, said on Friday that he would not transmit power to his deputy, Hon Agboola Ajayi, inspite of his positive COVID-19 status.
Akeredolu, who tested positive to the virus on Wednesday and has since self-isolated himself, said he would work from home.
The governor said it was not true that government activities had been grounded due to his COVID-19 status.
Akeredolu, who spoke through his Information and Orientation Commissioner, Donald Ojogo in Akure, described the deputy governor as “a threat to good governance in the state.”
The commissioner added, “Mr. Governor will not be advised to hand over to his deputy, it is not done because there is no reason for that.
“The deputy governor has since left our party and has since left governance, even though he has not left government.
“You cannot hand over government to someone who has left governance, or handover the rein of government to someone who attempted to pull down the government.
“ln any case, those of us in government and believe strongly in this government, see the deputy governor as the greatest threat to good governance in Ondo State and you can’t attempt to handover to people like that. Agboola Ajayi is the greatest threat to this government.
“I don’t know-how and why we got into this, what we witnessed in 1983, the level of treachery that was deployed against late Adekunle Ajasin.
“Except for those who have the opportunity to witness what we are seeing in Ondo State, one may be tempted to say that was the height or nothing could surpass the level of treachery. But what we are seeing today represents the fact what Omoboriowo did in 1983 was a child’s play compared to what Agboola Ajayi is doing now.
“You don’t rock a boat that has taken you across the ocean. So, it is a non-issue and we are not even considering handing over to Agboola Ajayi and I know as a matter of fact that no one who believes in good governance in the state will even advise Akeredolu to hand over to his deputy. What would be the compelling reason when governance is not grounded?
“He has created an unusual scenario upon which he wanted to climb to his next political ladder and we have already seen as misadventures. We cannot toy with what we have built over the years, we cannot risk it and attempt to hand over to someone who has exhibited a mindless level of betrayal and an unquestionable level of treachery.
“This is not done and unthinkable, undebatable, and if that is the reason he has been sponsoring write-ups to say there is likely to be a vacuum, the governor must hand over to him, he’s only joking.
“It is not going to happen because the governor is hale and hearty. COVID -19 is not a death sentence and the governor is strong enough to work.
“For the deputy to insinuate, incite or instigate people to be stirring the water to say that the governor should hand over to him, confirms our fears in the last ten months that Agboola Ajayi has been striving to take over power through the backdoor and God will not allow him.”
But the deputy governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Babatope Okeowo, stated that with precedents, he was not bothered if his boss made him acting governor.
He added that he did not see that happening, considering that they had both parted ways politically.
Ajajyi said, “The constitution is so explicit about it that when the President or the Governor is incapacitated, the vice or the deputy takes over. But in this case, the governor is not incapacitated. It is only when he is incapacitated that the doctrine of necessity will have to come into play.
“For now, there is no need for any anxiety about the governor’s state of health. He has said that he will be treating files while in isolation. That means governance won’t be affected.
“And you know the political situation in Ondo State now. Both the governor and the deputy governor are in different political camps. So, we don’t expect it and we are not bothered about it because before now the governor had sidelined the deputy governor in the day-to-day running of the activities of the government. There is nothing unusual in what he did.
“In the constitution, he ought to have transmitted letter, but when you look at it from the political angle, the governor will not do it and we are not bothered. We are not bothered because we know we are in different political parties.
“So, since he is not incapacitated, there is no need for the doctrine of necessity and we are not bothered with that.”
The deputy governor further stated, “Do you know that when Yar’Adua was sick he didn’t transmit letter giving power to Jonathan until the National Assembly invoked the doctrine of necessity to make him acting president?
“Even when President Buhari was ill, the Attorney General of the Federation said he could work from anywhere as President. The late Abba Kyari was the one taking files to him in London, where he was recuperating.”