AKURE — Ondo State Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa has come under immense pressure from various vested groups in the state over his choice of deputy, The Nation gathered last night.
The groups and stakeholders are understood to be getting messages across to him on who will not only serve him, the state and the All Progressives Congress (APC), better as deputy governor but also help the party’s fortunes in next year’s governorship election.
More sympathisers, including a delegation of South West Governors and the Senator for Ondo South,Chief Jimoh Ibrahim, yesterday visited the family of the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in Ibadan to offer their condolences.
The governors said they would collaborate with Ayedatiwa to give the deceased a befitting burial while Jimoh said the Akeredolus should not mourn because the deceased would make heaven.
The Ekiti State government declared three days of mourning in honour of the late governor.
Party sources in Akure said that the new governor needs a deputy who will help him in uniting the APC in the state.
With Aiyedatiwa hailing from Ondo South and the Speaker of the State Assembly, Olajidi Olamide, from Ondo Central, some party members expect the deputy governor to come from Akeredolu’s Ondo North for the purpose of balance of power.
Those who have been tipped to likely emerge deputy are immediate past Minister of State for Transport, Prince Ademola Adegoroye; a former Secretary to the State Government, Ifedayo Abegunde; Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources, Engr. Rasaq Obe; Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Victor Olabimtan; Chief of Staff, Chief Olugbenga Ale; and a son of the leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.
A chieftain of the APC who pleaded anonymity said the issue of deputy governor would be discussed after the three days mourning period for Akeredolu.
“There is supposed to be a stakeholders meeting after the mourning period. We cannot talk about it while the mourning is still on,” the party chief said.
President Bola Tinubu had tasked Governor Aiyedatiwa to unite the party and the first step, according to a party leader, would be the extent of consultation by the governor in picking his deputy.
An APC chieftain said: “It is the prerogative of the governor to pick his deputy. The consultation will be mere formality because he has a bigger task of winning the primary.
“Some of these people being paraded are not on the cards.
“What Aiyedatiwa needs is a politician because he is not a politician.
“The party is not united. He has been told to bring everybody together. His manner of consultation before picking his deputy would determine how far he is willing to go to ensure party unity.”
It was gathered that Aiyedatiwa might pick his deputy from Owo to appease Akeredolu’s kinsmen and loyalists some of whom have already resigned from Aiyedatiwa’s administration.
Another permutation is that he might move to have his trusted men in key positions by picking his deputy from Akure thereby paving the way for the removal of Speaker Oladiji and the new Speaker to emerge from Ondo North.
THE NATION
