Akeredolu talks tough, vows to deal with unsupportive APC senator

The new Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has revealed that some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, worked against the party during last November’s governorship election.

He said such disloyal members would not be condoned by his administration.

Mr. Akeredolu made this known at the inauguration dinner organised for him in Akure, the state capital.

He alleged that some chieftains of the APC in the state worked against the party during the last governorship election.

Mr. Akeredolu said such disloyal members, whom he did not name, should go and reapply if they still wanted to be members of the party.

The governor specifically accused a serving senator in the state of working against the APC in the last governorship election.

He berated the senator for going to buy a space in a newspaper to congratulate him after his victory.

Mr. Akeredolu, who did not mention the name of the senator, insisted that those who were involved in anti-party activities could not come through the back door.

“A Senator that won his seat under the platform of APC, chose to openly work for AD during the last governorship election, and later paid for congratulatory advert for me on pages of newspaper,” he said.

“It looks strange to me, this is someone that didn’t even call to congratulate me.

“Tell the senator he is not a member of APC; everyone that involved in anti-party activities can’t come back through the back door, they would have to go back to their various wards to re-apply for APC membership card and apologise openly, they should also do the needful.”

Although the governor did not mention the senator, he is believed to have been referring to Ajayi Borroffice.

Mr. Borroffice, representing Ondo North senatorial district, contested against Mr. Akeredolu at the APC primaries and lost.

He also contested the outcome of the primaries, and had refused to recognise Mr. Akeredolu’s candidature at the early stages of the crisis.

Despite reaching an understanding to sheath his sword, Mr. Borroffice stayed away from Mr. Akeredolu’s campaigns and was believed to have supported the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, Olusola Oke.

The governor however, commended the Deputy Chairman of the APC, Ade Adetimehin, and some other chieftains of the party for their efforts towards ensuring that the APC won the election.

When reached to react to Mr. Akeredolu’s statement, Mr. Borroffice said he would not respond to such statements when his name was not explicitly stated.

“I am a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, I cannot respond to statements where my name is not clearly stated, I am too big for that,” he said.

Also at a thanksgiving service held at the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew Anglican Church, Owo on Sunday, Mr. Akeredolu promised not to disappoint the people of the state.

He said he would serve them better and record more success and achievements in the state.

In his sermon, the Archbishop of Ondo Province of Anglican Diocese, George Lasebikan, urged the governor to face his duties squarely and contentiously.

Mr. Lasebikan also appealed to him to take the payment of workers’ salaries as a priority.
“He should pay salaries; many of our people have not been paid, not only in Ondo State but in different parts of Nigeria. It is in East, North and every part of the country,” the bishop said.

“It is not good, a labourer is worthy of his wage and government needs to do something that the public will know that the government is taking care of them otherwise people will not respond to the politicians.

“I know recession has been a bad thing for the nation but there should be a way that workers are paid.”