The faceoff between Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and his deputy, Agboola Ajayi took another turn on Tuesday as both men traded words over an alleged plot by the governor to induce the state House of Assembly to impeach his deputy.
Akeredolu and Ajayi have been having a running battle over time, culminating in the defection of the latter from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Agboola, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Babatope Okeowo, on Tuesday, accused Governor Akeredolu of the plot to impeach him.
“The attention of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State has been drawn to the illegal move by the embattled Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu to impeach him through illegal and unconstitutional means.
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“The illegal impeachment move would be carried out through financial inducement of members of the Ondo State House of Assembly. At the moment, the Ondo State House of Assembly complex has been besieged by men of the Nigeria Police, while parliamentarians that are known not to believe in the charade, are being prevented from entering the complex.
However, the state Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, in his reaction, took on the deputy governor, describing the allegation as the height of perfidy.
“This is the height of perfidy, another pernicious warp from an intellectually challenged and treacherous personality.
“Knowledge cannot be procured, but only be acquired. For anyone to aver that lawmakers have been financially induced is a gross display of emptiness.
“It becomes more laughable when such comes from someone who had boasted about having majority members in the Assembly.
“While the executive led by Mr. Akeredolu, SAN, does not believe in the inducement, it is left for our reputable Legislative Arm to either confirm or debunk this spurious allegation”, Ojogo said.
Reports from Akure, the state capital said policemen in five patrol vehicles took over the state House of Assembly complex on Tuesday in anticipation of a possible break down of law and order on account of the plot to impeach Ajayi.
It would be recalled that the embattled deputy governor had insisted he would not resign from office after his defection to PDP, against calls by the state chapter of the APC for him to resign.
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