Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa yesterday described the allegation of certificate forgery as a blackmail designed to discredit him ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.
A statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the credentials of his boss were in the public domain, and they were duly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while running on a joint ticket with his late boss, Akeredolu, in 2020.
“Our attention has been drawn to the mischievous plans by some political actors to embark on fresh, unsubstantiated allegations against the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
“After failing woefully with their attempts to paint the governor in bad light with the stories around the death of the former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, these desperate elements have resorted to blackmail.
“It is important to alert members of the public to this plot, which is aimed at discrediting the governor ahead of the coming governorship election in the state.
“Any attempt to raise allegations around the credentials of the governor is nothing but a plot out of the playbook of those who failed in their efforts to impeach him when he was deputy governor.
“The governor remains committed to delivering on his promises to develop Ondo State and will not be distracted by the shenanigans of shameless politicians and their cronies.”
INDEED, a social-political group the Ondo State Redemption Initiative (OSRI), yesterday, accused Aiyedatiwa of certificate forgery.
The group said that Aiyedatiwa, in his resume, claimed to have acquired an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan (UI) in 2001.
According to OSRI, in a statement signed by its President, Adebayo Ogunsanmi; Secretary, Jide Oriola and Publicity Secretary, Sunday Ayeni, checks have proved that an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration was not available at the UI as of 2001.
Ondo State indigenes, under the aegis of Prof. Adedayo Faduyile Foundation (PAFF), United States (U.S.), have commiserated with the people of the state over the death of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
According to them, the demise of the governor was a blow too many for the people of the state and the entire South-West geo-political zone due to the efforts the late governor made to protect the interest of the region nationwide.
The U.S. Coordinator of the group, Eniafe Ogunbameru, who spoke with The Guardian, yesterday, in Washington DC, sympathised with the people of the state and family of the deceased on the untimely passage of the governor.
Ogunbameru urged the new governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was sworn in to succeed his principal immediately, to sustain the legacy of his predecessor, saying that Ondo State people would not forget the good works of the late governor.
He, therefore, stressed the need for a political reunion of All Progressives Congress (APC) factions in the state, tasking the new governor on an all-encompassing and inclusive government to commemorate the times and memories of his immediate predecessor.
The U.S. co-ordinator, while speaking on the 2024 governorship primary election scheduled for April, admonished Aiyedatiwa to ensure fairness and level-playing ground for all aspirants.
He also urged the governor, who is a contender in the party’s ticket, to allow every aspirant slug it out fairly with one another, as well as refrain from using his position to circumvent others at the polls.