Some family members and aides of ailing Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, have been forging his signatures on official memos, according to some state government documents, obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday.
One of the documents, which is from the Ondo State House of Assembly, was signed by Oleyelogun Bamidele David and Jaiyeola B.T, Clerk of the state House of Assembly.
The document had a column for the Governor’s assent and governor’s seal, and this was where the signature of Akeredolu appeared, dated 25th Of May.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Kayode Ajulo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated that some commissioners in the Ondo State government had been signing official documents in the name of ailing governor Akeredolu.
Ajulo, who is the Principal Partner of Kayode Ajulo & Co. Castle of Law, had revealed this on Monday while featuring on Arise Television’s programme.
The senior lawyer had said that the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, could not take over from Governor Akeredolu since power had not been transferred to him constitutionally, making way for the hijack of the state governance by the cabals.
“I have it on good authority as a lawyer. Some of the commissioners, about five of them, sent memos to the governor, and they all returned with approval.
“Going through the approval compared to what the governor had approved when he was hale and hearty, there are notable disparities in them.
“The Police and Administration of Justice Act have made it clear that there can be private investigators who have been contacted because of the issue, and their results are so damning. In fact, EFCC needs to visit Ondo State to ask some questions.
“The purported signature is not from the governor. It is so apparent,” Ajulo said.
SaharaReporters had last week reported that some notable indigenes of the state representing several local government areas of the state wrote to the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayedun Olusegun Odusola, to exercise his powers as the leader of the third arm of government, to compel the Ondo State Executive Council to act in line with Section 189 of the Constitution to determine Akeredolu’s capacity to continue to govern the state.
The indigenes including human rights activist, and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the last general elections, Omoyele Sowore, had also demanded that the CJ should request that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly constitute a medical panel to ascertain Akeredolu’s capacity to govern.
The Ondo State indigenes in the letter dated November 27, 2023, titled: “RE: THE UNCONSCIONABLE PARALYSIS OF GOVERNANCE IN ONDO STATE,” stated that they are gravely concerned about the lack of governance in Ondo State despite the law of the land having provided solutions to remedy such situations.
The indigenes, who said they did not blame Governor Akeredolu for his ill-health, however, reminded the CJ that since two months that Akeredolu returned from medical treatment – in September 2023, he has not hosted the state executive council and had failed to do the same thing he asked late President Musa Yar’Adua to do in 2010.
According to them, Akeredolu had stated during Yar’Adua’s sickness, “The prayer of the association is that the President should recover fast, return to his office, and resign. No matter how much you love your country, it should not be to the detriment of your health.
