The Ondo state Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi, has dismissed an alleged sponsored story that he wants to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in order to contest next year’s governorship election.
Hon Ajayi said he is unperturbed by this sponsored story and the others before it as these are the handiwork of attention and job seekers. “These funny characters are well known within the political circle in the state,” he said.
In a release signed by one of his media aides Bababtope Okeowo, he described the publication as ‘a blatant falsehood’ adding that Hon Ajayi remains a bonafide member of the APC.
He also said the deputy governor has no plan to dump the party for any rival political party and therefore urged members of the public to disregard the rumour.
“There is no place where the deputy governor has met with stalwarts of the PDP not to talk of dividing their party in any form.”
He used the the medium to apologise to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state whose name was dragged into the murky water of Ondo state politics as being the sponsor of alleged plan for him to contest on the PDP’s platform in Ondo state.
The statement further stated that, Agboola Ajayi remains as the deputy governor and loyal to his boss, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
“He was chosen as the deputy governor at the benevolent of his boss, Governor Akeredolu. This is to posit emphatically that Hon Agboola Ajayi has no intention to contest against his boss.”
According to the statement, “We want to say that we know that the plan of the sponsors of the story is to cause serious rift between Governor Akeredolu and his Deputy Agboola Ajayi for their selfish reasons.”
“It must be noted that the Hon Agboola Ajayi is a seasoned politician who knows the limitation of his office as the deputy governor. He is not ready in any way to rock the boat of progress of this administration.
“This is another grand plan by the busy bodies and professional blackmailers to create division within the ranks of the ruling APC in Ondo state in order to create advantage which does not exist anywhere.”
The statement noted that the Ajayi has no problem with the governor who, he said, is discharging his responsibilities as an elected to the best of his ability.
“The seat of the deputy governor is an exalted seat, and those who are interested in becoming the deputy in the next dispensation will wait till when Arakunrin Akeredolu is ready to pick who will run with him in the next election for the further development of Ondo state. As that, he Agboola Ajayi is not desperate in any form.”
