Fidelis David in Akure
The Ondo State government and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, traded words over the alleged refusal of the state government to grant the use of government field, Ore, for the defection of immediate past Commissioner for Water Resources, Mrs Yetunde Adeyanju, to the PDP.
Adeyanju, a few months ago, resigned her appointment as commissioner after she was redeployed from Water Resources to Regional and Urban Planning ministry.
The former commissioner, who defected with 3,500 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to PDP at a grand ceremony held at the PDP Secretariat, Ore, in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, said she could no longer pretend that all was well with the APC.
She was received into the PDP by the State Chairman of the party, Mr Fatai Adams, supported by the governorship candidate of PDP in Ogun State, Hon. Ladi Adeputu, Deputy Governor-elect of Osun State, Hon. Kola Adewusi and Dr. Eddy Olafeso.
While the PDP accused the state government of employing security operatives to disperse supporters of Adeyanju and the party leaders at the defection ground, the state government described the allegation as a fruitless attempt to blackmail the state governor.
Speaking on the controversy over the venue, she explained that the venue for formal declaration was denied after she had paid the necessary fees to the coffer of the state government.
She alleged that she wrote letters to all the security agencies only for the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ore Division, to disperse her supporters and party leaders from the government field in the town, stressing that she would not be deterred as the country would not continue under the rudderless government of APC both at the state and federal levels.
Also, the PDP through the state Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei lampooned, the state government for denying PDP the use of the venue.
Peretei said: “As preparations were on top gear for the event, the Area Commander arrived to disperse leaders and party supporters as directed from above. There is no doubt, Akeredolu is jittery that his party, APC, having performed very woefully will be disgraced at the 2023 general election. This level of high-handedness and abuse of public office will not excuse his party from failure.”
Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde, said Akeredolu knew nothing about the alleged refusal of the use of the field.
“The Governor doesn’t run the local government councils for the executive chairmen. Governor Akeredolu is one governor that has the utmost respect for the local council tier of government. Reports from the Local Government Chairman revealed that the PDP didn’t inform the council of their intention to use the venue today.
“It is most illogical for the PDP to raise the false alarm even when it is aware that it has failed to follow due process on the use of the venue. This failed blackmail is another calculated attempt by the PDP to seek undue attention.
“Governor Akeredolu is busy with the business of government and will not be distracted by the attention-seeking gimmick of the PDP. The fruitless attempt to blackmail Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, by the PDP is a missed goal,” Olatunde added.
