The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the state governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of deliberately abandoning all the uncompleted projects left by his immediate predecessor, late Rotimi Akeredolu.
The PDP accused the governor in a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Leye Igbabo, on Sunday.
According to the statement, the opposition party said it had a strong conviction that the governor was attempting to destroy all of Akeredolu’s legacies in the state.
However, the state Director of Media and Publicity of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Steve Otaloro, in a statement, reacted that the allegation was untrue, stating that Aiyedatiwa was making efforts to complete the projects.
He described the PDP as an attention seeker.
The PDP in its statement said, “We are worried about the unwillingness and inability of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to complete all the ongoing projects left behind by his benefactor and predecessor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
“The available facts showed that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was not ready to go on with the projects because of his clear intention to destroy his predecessor’s legacy on the altar of political vendetta, against the late governor and his camp who allegedly did all within their power to strive to deny him ascension to the office of the governor when the late governor was clearly incapacitated by ill-health and even after the ultimate death of the immediate past governor.
“Aiyedatiwa was said to have boasted of his powers as the executive governor to stop any projects that do not catch his fancy, and that those who had benefited from the projects by way of monetary or material rewards should also go ahead to look for means of financing the said projects to completion.
“Our party has sufficient reasons to suspect very strongly that these allegations of an attempt to abandon and destroy his predecessor’s legacy could be very true. We have to come to this conclusion because one has to know why a governor who has huge resources at his disposal would be going back and forth to simply complete projects left behind by his predecessor when the government is regarded as a continuum.”
On the other hand, the APC media director, who denied the allegation of the PDP, said, “It is apparent that the PDP is resorting to a desperate attempt to regain relevance by fabricating claims that lack any basis in fact. “Since the victorious governorship election won by our party, the PDP has emerged as a vocal antagonist, seemingly more interested in creating discord than offering constructive criticism.”
He further stated, “While we typically refrain from engaging in the blame games of opposition parties, it has become necessary to clarify the truth for the public, who deserve to be informed about the PDP’s misleading narratives.
“We would like to emphasise that all projects initiated under the previous administration of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu are receiving the attention they deserve. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa views the past administration as an extension of his own, as he served as deputy governor during that time.
It is, therefore, nonsensical for the PDP to suggest that Governor Aiyedatiwa would undermine the legacy he helped build by neglecting ongoing projects.
“In fact, Governor Aiyedatiwa has recently commissioned several road projects and infrastructure developments, including the Oda Road (in Akure) and its extensions, which were foundationally laid by the late Governor Akeredolu. These actions reflect our commitment to continuity and progress, rather than the abandonment of vital projects.
The APC advised the opposition party leaders to focus on addressing the challenges within their party, “which has seen significant defections, including that of sitting governors, rather than concocting lies to mislead the public. It is time for them to engage in meaningful dialogue and contribute positively to the development of Ondo State.”
