Romanus Ugwu, Abuja and Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, yesterday sacked Allen Sowore, special assistant on New Media and other aides of his deputy, Agboola Ajayi.
Other affected aides are Olomu Bayo, special assistant, special duties; Olawale Mukaila, special assistant, photography, Babatope Okeowo, deputy chief press secretary; Samuel Ogunmusi, personal assistant (deputy governor), Omotunmise Tokunbo, special assistant to the wife of the deputy governor; and Erifeyiwa Akinnugba, photography, wife of the deputy governor.
Akeredolu’s Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, who signed the statement, directed the affected aides to submit all government’s property in their possession to the chief of staff to the governor.
Ajayi resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but insisted he would not resign as the state deputy governor.
The deputy governor has, however, raised the alarm over alleged plan by the House of Assembly to impeach him illegally on the order of Governor Akeredolu.
His Chief Press Secretary, Okeowo, alleged that Governor Akeredolu has induced some members of the House financially.
“The illegal impeachment move would be carried out through financial inducement of the Assembly members to the tune of N10 million each.
“Meanwhile, the Assembly complex has been besieged by men of the Nigeria Police, while parliamentarians that are against the charade are being prevented from entering the complex.
“We wish to state that the deputy governor is a tested politician of note, who is not unprepared for this type of kangaroo and infamous move from the desperate and drowning governor and his group.
“By joining the PDP, Ajayi has not committed any impeachable offence. He has only exercised his constitutional right of freedom of association provided by section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“For the avoidance of doubt, we state unequivocally that the governor and his allies do not have and cannot muster the requisite majority in the Assembly for the removal of the deputy governor under the 1999 Constitution in any free, fair and transparent process.
“We remain undaunted in the move to throw off the combined weight of those ‘kneeling on the neck’ of Ondo State. Our state shall not be allowed to suffocate. At the appropriate time, the people of the state shall decide the right person, who will serve as the arrowhead of the bid to save the state from the nepotistic clique kneeling on her,” he said.
In another development, a governorship aspirant, Olaide Adelami, has expressed concern over rising security threats in the state ahead of APC’s primary.