After months of a running battle with his boss, Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, on Sunday finally resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party that brought him to power.
Ajayi, with his loyalists submitted his resignation letter from the party in his Apoi Ward 2, Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state, Sunday afternoon.
He had engaged in a running battle with his boss, Governor Rotimi Aleredolu over his ambition to succeed the governor who had indicated interest to contest for a second term in office.
Earlier before he submitted his resignation latter, Ajayi, was locked in an early morning encounter with the state Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami and his team, who purportedly acting on the orders of the governor, restrained him from going out with the government vehicle from the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital.
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Following this hours later, he submitted his resignation letter and has since picked the membership card of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) at his ward, while it is being speculate that nine members of the Ondo House of Assembly may also, on Monday, defect from APC to join Ajayi at the PDP.
• Enjoyed good relationship with the governor at the beginning
Three years ago, when the deputy governor, Ajayi, celebrated his 49th birthday, giving his vote of thanks, said he never expected to be a deputy governor, the number two citizen of Ondo State.
He said this in the presence of friends, family members and political associates, who had gathered to felicitate him.
Ajayi, who said God’s plans was not that of man, gave gratitude to God for elevating him to the position, while he appreciated Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for picking him as his deputy.
Ajayi told everyone present at his birthday ceremony he would be loyal to the governor as they pilot the affairs of the state.
He also promised to continue to do God’s wises by doing his best to serve mankind.
At the same gathering, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor on oil and Gas, Dr Benson Enikuomehin, advised the celebrant to be focused and remain loyal to his boss.
He also urged him to continue to do good which he was known for.
Similarly, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Mr Segun Ajiboye described Ajayi as a loyal and committed man, saying he was an accommodating and a lovely boss to work with.
At the event, wife of the deputy governor, Mrs Ajewola Ajayi, who thanked God for the life of her husband for keeping him till that moment, wished her husband more years on earth to the services of humanity.
• Then, where did things go wrong?
As gathered, it was said trouble started when the alleged secret ambition of the deputy governor to succeed his boss, was revealed to the governor who had indicated interest to contest for a second term with his deputy as a running mate.
Governor Akeredolu was said to have entrusted with his deputy, the political power in the state, to coordinate political affairs at the grassroots level with politicians, build and maintain existing structures for the party, APC, so, he could face governance squarely.
But as said, the deputy governor, rather, than solidifying the party’s structure in favour of their joint ticket, and much more for party supremacy in the state, he was allegedly rallying forces both within the party hierarchy and the opposition to build his own political empire to advance his ambition to succeed his boss in the next election.
Though the deputy governor had denied all the allegations against him, his resignation from APC and his immediate signing up of membership with the opposition PDP, many had said attested to earlier claims that he had been secretly working with the opposition leadership in the state against the interest of his boss.
However, loyalists to the deputy governor claimed that it was politicians who set the cord of discord between the governor and his deputy for selfish reasons, as it was said, the deputy governor had since debunked the rumours of fight between him and his boss before things later got out of hand.
