Ogun said Mr. Ayeni is a lawyer.
The Ogun State Government has denied that a lawyer, Olumide Ayeni, is an aide to the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said Mr. Ayeni holds no political appointment in the state.
“He is a lawyer who is known and he has every right to practice,” Mr. Olaniyonu said.
A group in Ondo State had alleged that Mr. Ayeni, reportedly billed to represent Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, at the Election Tribunal, is a Senior Special Assistant on Legal Matters to Mr. Amosun.
The group, the Ondo State Professional Integrity Forum, accused Mr. Ayeni of unprofessional behaviour by choosing to be a counsel to Mr. Mimiko.
Mr. Amosun is a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and campaigned for his party’s candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, against Mr. Mimiko of the Labour Party during the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State.
Mr. Akeredolu, the ACN, and others are challenging Mr. Mmiko’s victory in the elections and have filed their petitions before the tribunal.
The group, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Lawrence Ololade, claimed that there was a conflict of interest for Mr. Ayeni to serve Mr. Amosun and also choose to work against the interest of Mr. Akeredolu at the Tribunal.
“You either choose to continue to work for ACN government in Ogun state or decamp and work for Labour Party government in Ondo state,” they stated.
The group accused Mr. Mimiko of a plot to distract and divide the ACN governors in his quest to remain in office.
It noted that no amount of scheming by Mr. Mimiko can prevent the truth of the ‘fraudulent October 20 governorship election in Ondo State’ from being exposed at the Election Tribunal.
Mr. Olaniyonu, the Ogun Government spokesperson has however said Mr. Ayeni does not work for his government. Mr. Ayeni, according to top Ogun government officials, is, however, close to Mr. Amosun.
