8th August, 2018
Cabinet members of the Ondo State Government have refuted rumours that they were leaving the All Progressives Congress. They said the speculation was the handiwork of political enemies.
There were rumours on social media of the planned defection of some top cabinet members in the state from APC to other parties.
The executive members, who unanimously pledged their support to the All Progressives Congress, (APC), made their stand known during the weekly State Executive Council, (SEC) meeting in Akure on Tuesday.
The meeting was presided over by the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, who said that all is well with SEC and APC in the State.
“Everything is peaceful in APC of Ondo State, we are very much intact. The party and all of us, we are one and I do not know and I am not aware that anybody else among us is leaving or planning to leave the party for another.
“Yes, it is a normal thing for people to contest for election which is a beauty of democracy and APC will not dictate for you, but allow grassroots to choose who will represent them at various levels of elective positions come 2019 elections,” he said.
According to him, if anybody wants to resign and contest, it is a different thing.
He added that APC family in the state is doing everything possible to move the state forward.
“I can assure you that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu will leave Ondo State better than he met it after spending 8 years,” he said.
The deputy governor also noted that the state governor followed the constitutional procedure of informing the state House of Assembly before embarking on his annual leave.
According to him, governance is ongoing as expected, saying he has been acting for the governor.
Mr. Ifedayo Abegunde, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said it was disheartening that the purported allegation was pointing to him as the person leading the defection.
Abegunde noted that he had confidence in the leadership of the state governor to move the state from poverty into abundance.
“I remain in APC because Mr. Governor is a man of good character and not deceitful and he has done many infrastructural projects to move our state forward,” he said.
Mrs. Lola Fagbemi, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said the defection story was a mere figment of the imagination of lazy journalists.
Mr. Taofeek Abdulsalam, the Commissioner for Works and Mr. Raheem Aminu, the Senior Special Adviser ( SSA) on Infrastructure to the state governor, also debunked their alleged defection from APC.