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Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, on Sunday denied reports that he wanted to dump the All Progressives Congress(APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to contest next year’s governorship election in the state.
There have been reports that Ajayi has fallen out with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and that he was planning to defect to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the governorship seat, knowing that the governor already has the APC ticket in his pocket.
However, a statement by the Deputy Governor’s spokesman, Mr Babatope Okeowo said he never thought of contesting against his boss, stressing the reports were the handiwork of “attention seekers who are well known within the political circle of the state.”
According to the statement, “this is a blatant falsehood as Agboola Ajayi remains a bonafide member of the APC and has no plan to dump the party for any rival political party.
“There is no place where the Deputy Governor has met with stalwarts of the PDP not to talk of dividing their party.”
Also, the Deputy Governor used the medium to apologise to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State whose name has been allegedly mentioned as the sponsor of his plan to contest on the PDP platform in the state.
The statement stressed that Ajayi remains the Deputy Governor, adding that he is loyal to his boss. It said that he was chosen as the Deputy Governor at the benevolence of Akeredolu, stressing that he has no intention to contest against him.
“We know the plan of the sponsors of the story is to cause serious rift between Governor Akeredolu and his deputy for their selfish reasons.
“It must be noted that Ajayi is a seasoned politician who knows the limitation of his office as the deputy governor. He is not ready in anyway 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.
“Let us say for the umpteenth time that Ajayi has no problem with his boss as the governor who was elected as the governor of Ondo State and he is discharging the responsibilities to the best of his ability.
“The developments in all strata are feasible for the blind to see and it is well appreciated by the people of Ondo State.
”Let the busy bodies and professional blackmailers find another job to do. The media should also not give space to all these noise makers,” the statement added.
The statement further described the office of the Deputy Governor as an exalted seat,urging those who are interested in becoming the deputy governor in the next dispensation to wait till when the governor is ready to pick who will run with him in the next election.
Okeowo said Ajayi is not a desperate politician,saying only God gives position at His appointed time.