Few hours after they were sacked by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, embattled deputy governor of the state, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, has reappointed all his sacked aides, just as the plot to impeach him thickens.
The aides affected includes Olomu Bayo, Special Assistant, Special Duties, Olawale Abolade Mukaila, Special Assistant on 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 Mrs. Erifeyiwa Shola Akinnugba, Photography, wife of the Deputy Governor.
Governor Akeredolu had, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Segun Ajiboye, said the affected aides were to submit all government’s property in his possession to the Chief of Staff to the governor.
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However, the new twist is not unconnected to the defection of the deputy governor from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at his Kiribo hometown, last Sunday.
Ajayi had maintained that he remains the deputy governor of the state after his official resignation from the APC.
Reacting, the deputy governor, said he has not committed any impeachable offence by defecting from the ruling party to the main opposition party in the state.
Agboola said he only exercised his constitutional right of freedom of association as enshrined in Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) that “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any association for the protection of his interests.”
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Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Babatope Okeowo, Agboola said, “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 House of Assembly for the removal of the deputy governor under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 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 Ondo 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 neck.”