A former Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Strategies to late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Dr. Doyin Odebowale, has said some aides of the late governor betrayed him while in office.
Late Governor Akeredolu popularly known as ‘Aketi’ in political circle, passed away on Wednesday during a protracted illness in a hospital in Germany.
Immediately after his death, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the governor of the state.
The former aide to the deceased alleged that some of the aides were not dealing with the governor with sincerity, particularly when Akeredolu fell ill.
Odebowale, who spoke in a five-minute viral video, seen by our correspondent on Sunday, also blamed the late governor for not properly taking care of his health.
“Aketi (Akeredolu) mismanaged his health. The perfidy of many of his aides was unrivalled. They won’t allow him to rest, they won’t allow him to sleep. He took ill and the next thing is when will he die? People started holding meetings against the man who never offended them. I will talk about Babajide (Akeredolu’s son) once Aketi is buried.
“Aketi was a weakling, he would have called his wife to order especially when she was saying per adventure. I would have sent her away. Her outburst was un-African. What point was she proving? I know Aketi was not sleeping with anybody. Even from Ibadan, I knew that. But these people were peddling influence.
“Aketi rejected many chieftaincy titles. He stuck to Arakunrin. Those who made allegations of forgery should bring out the documents and show who collected the money. I was making money for the state and they were spending it. I made doctors resign because they were collecting double salary. People were retiring but the wage bill was still going up. In the health management board, doctors were travelling abroad but the state was unable to employ new ones because they were collecting a double salary.”
In the short video, Odebowale also explained that things fell apart between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa following allegations of distrust between the duo. He alleged a female aide of the former governor was leaking information to the then deputy governor (now Governor Aiyedatiwa) about Akeredolu’s health status, which was the genesis of the crisis between the late governor and the present governor in a bid to become deputy governor if Akeredolu died.
“Where is the woman now? She is with Lucky (Aiyedatiwa). What infuriated the First Lady at that time that she decided to misbehave was the fact that while this woman was pretending to be with Aketi, she was getting information about the state of health of Aketi and was ingratiating herself towards Lucky.
“She was seeing Lucky. She will not talk to Lucky in Akure but they were seeing in Abuja. She was scheming to be deputy governor in case Aketi died. That was the genesis of the mistrust between Aketi and Lucky. Aketi never listened to anybody who spoke against Lucky. He will shut you down. Aketi will sit from morning till night signing useless files from these people who are now talking about forgery.
If Babajide and his mother were found to have stolen money, send them to jail.
“All of you members of cabinet who were unknown political entities until Mrs. Akeredolu and her son nominated you.
“It was Babajide and his mother who submitted the name of the Commissioner, Rasaq Obe, who is now going about to tell the world he paid to be made a Commissioner.
“He challenged Obe to tell the world how much he paid to the former First Lady and her son for his name to be submitted.
“Come out and tell the world how you became more important than those in Ifedore who has been with Aketi since 2012.
Odebowale said that “You are now telling the world because you are quarrelling with Babajide over diesel supply. I have more to say after Aketi has been buried”
