Ondo Election – Akeredolu’s Deputy To contest Under PDP Platform

Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon Ajayi Agboola, is planning to defect to the opposition party in the state, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party where he is expected to contest for the governorship.

Sources who spoke with The Nation revealed that he may resign as the deputy governor this week.

Relationship between Agboola and Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has since collapsed over issues of trust and betrayal.

It was gathered that some APC lawmakers in the Ondo State House of Assembly would also resign their membership of the APC and join the PDP.

Candidate of the PDP in the 2016 governorship election, Eyitayo Jegede, hinted on the defection of Agboola last week when he picked his nomination form. Jegede stated that the coming of Agboola to the PDP “demonstrated that the APC has collapsed and Agboola needs to look for a good house.”

According to Jegede, “If APC was and is good, Agboola Ajayi would not leave APC. If PDP is bad, he would not say he is coming to PDP.

Spokesman for Agboola, Babatope Okeowo, said his boss does not need to resign as Deputy to contest the governorship election.

Okeowo said it was not true that his boss would resign this week. He said his boss could contest whether in the PDP or the APC without resigning from office.

Ondo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, in an interview last week said Governor Akeredolu was not interested in impeaching or removing the Deputy Governor.

He said, “Mr. Governor believes that whoever wants to leave his government can leave at any time. He will not raise a finger to push anybody out.

If the governor is having enough majority, a comfortable majority that is more than two-third in the House of Assembly and he has no problem dealing with them, then why must he go-ahead that they must impeach someone?

“In the history of Nigeria, I can say that the Office of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, I’m not talking about the personality but the office of the Deputy Governor became more powerful and more influential from 2017 till date under Akeredolu.

Since Akeredolu came on board, the office of the Deputy Governor became more powerful than it was.

And if actually, they have parted ways, it will be unfortunate and only betrayal of trust and confidence, could have been the reason.”