The Governor-elect of Ondo state, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu said Wednesday that after expressing gratitude to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as represented by President Muhammadu Buhari and John Odegie-Oyegun in his victory speech, there was no point recognising individuals like Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Akeredolu said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a meeting with the President at the State House in Abuja.
“I thanked the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the leader of our party profusely for the leadership which he showed leading to this election. I also thanked our indefatigable chairman for standing by the truth and for his position on this matter that led to this election. I have no reason to do otherwise.
“Party structures to the best of my knowledge is very clear. You have the leadership of the party and that is represented by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. And after the election, a chief executive emerges, he becomes a leader of the party, you don’t have to personalize and be looking for leaders all over the place.
“If we have to do that then I will have to mention 36 or 37 leaders. So, I believe the leadership as represented by the President covers all leaders and that tells me it would include Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it would include even Baba Akande, Onu, so many leaders. But, President Buhari is the leader of the party so that is my position there,” he said.
Akeredolu also dismissed remarks about the strain relationship he is having with Tinubu over his emergence as APC candidate in Ondo state.
“The relationship with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has always been the same. I don’t think we have any strain relationship. For me as a person, I believe he is one of the leaders of the party and I don’t see any strain relationship between us.
“And you would observe that he has sent in his congratulatory message after the election, so what else do you expect? I mean all of us see this as victory for the APC, not for Akaredolu, not for an individual but for the party as a whole. I believe he is a member of the party,” he said.
Akeredolu said he would not probe the outgoing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state headed by Olusegun Mimiko, stressing, however, that the law of the land would take its course should there be any semblance of a Dasukigate.
“At the centre, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari said we must look back in order to move forward, he has been there for over a year now, has he instituted a probe? Looking back is not a probe and I maintain that I will not probe any regime. This is a responsible leadership and I’m elected to lead the people.
“The task ahead of us is enormous than for us to start instituting probes. My own is not to institute any probe of last regime and that is what president Buhari has done. But if we find out that wrongs were committed, we have enough laws of the land to take care of people who have committed wrong. As we start our work, if there is any semblance of Dasukigate at the state, the law will take its course that is different from probing. We will follow what Mr. President is doing at the centre,” he said.
