Ondo Deputy governor, cabinet members refute defection report

CABINET members in the Ondo State Government on Tuesday refuted their alleged defection, describing the report as the handiwork of political enemies.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there were speculations of a planned defection of some top cabinet members in the state from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to other parties on social media.

The cabinet members, who unanimously declared their support for the APC, made their stand known during the weekly State Executive Council (SEC) meeting in Akure.

The meeting was presided over by the state’s Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi, who said that there was no plan to defect by members of the SEC and the APC in the state.

“Everything is peaceful in APC of Ondo State, we are very much intact.

“ The party and all of us are one and I do not know and I am not aware that anybody else among us is leaving or planning to leave the party for another.

“Yes, it is a normal thing for people to contest for election which is the beauty of democracy and APC will not dictate for you, but allow the grassroots to choose who will represent them at various levels of elective positions come 2019 elections,” he said.

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According to him, if anybody wants to resign and contest, it is a different thing.

He added that APC in the state was doing everything possible to move the state forward.

“I can assure you that Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu will leave Ondo State better than he met it after spending eight years,” he said.

The deputy governor also noted that the governor followed constitutional procedure in informing the state House of Assembly before embarking on his annual leave.

Mr Ifedayo Abegunde, the Secretary to the State Government, expressed confidence in the leadership of the governor.

“I remain in APC because Mr Governor is a man of good character and not a deceit and he has done many infrastructural projects to move our state forward,” he said.

Mrs Lola Fagbemi, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, described the speculations on defections as “ a figment of the imagination of lazy journalists.’’

Mr Taofeek Abdulsalam, the Commissioner for Works, and Mr Raheem Aminu, the Senior Special Adviser on Infrastructure, also dismissed speculations of their alleged defection from APC.