Former Aide Criticizes Akeredolu’s Leadership and Health Management

Doyin Odebowale, a former aide and close ally to the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, has opened up on the feud between the former governor and his successor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

He also described Akeredolu as a weakling who did not take a decisive step to address a matter involving him and his wife, adding that the late governor mismanaged his health.

Odebowale resigned his appointment as the Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Strategies, 24 hours after Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the substantive governor of the state.

Speaking in a viral video obtained by Daily Trust at the weekend, the former aide said the relationship between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa was smooth until it became frosty.

He disclosed that both men fell apart after it was discovered that a female aide in the cabinet had been sharing information about the ill health of the governor with Aiyedatiwa, who was then the deputy.

He specifically alleged that the woman, whose name he did not mention, was already scheming to become the deputy governor if Aiyedatiwa succeeded Akeredolu after his death.

“Where is the woman now, She is with Lucky. 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 (Akeredolu) she was getting information about the state of health of Aketi and was ingratiating herself towards Lucky (Aiyedatiwa).

“She was seeing Lucky. She will not talk to Lucky 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 files from these people who are now talking about forgery,” Odebowale said.

Describing the former governor as a “weakling” who mismanaged his health when he needed assistance at the beginning, the former aide alleged Mr Akeredolu’s wife, Betty, of contributing to his health challenge.

Odebowale noted that while the governor was on sickbed, he was not allowed to take care of his health, stressing that his wife was busy fighting one of the former governor’s purported mistresses.

“Aketi 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.

“Aketi was weakling, he would have called his wife (Betty) to order. I would have sent her away. Her outburst was unAfrican. 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.

“If Babajide (governor’s son) and his mother were found to have stolen money, send them to jail.”

He added that many cabinet members who were brought into the government have suddenly changed especially when the governor was down with ill-health before he died.

He said, “All of you members of the 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 have been with Aketi since 2012. 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.