The Ondo State Government has faulted a media report alleging that the state Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami has been locked out of his official residence, forcing him to stay in hotels since assuming office in February 2024.
A report by an online platform claimed that the Deputy Governor has lodged in no fewer than four “ramshackle” hotels in the Ijapo and Alagbaka areas of Akure.
It also alleged that more than ₦130 million has been spent on his accommodation and that of his aides citing unnamed sources.
The online platform alleged that the decision to keep Mr. Adelami out of the deputy governor’s lodge and a renovated VIP lodge within Government House was driven by fears of a potential power struggle between him and Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
However, in a swift reaction, the deputy governor’s press secretary, John Akinduro, dismissed the publication as “blatant falsehood” and accused the online platform of “yellow journalism and crass reportage.”
“For the sake of well-meaning residents and lovers of Ondo State, Dr Adelami and his boss share an abiding bond and mutual respect,” Mr Akinduro stated.
“These lies only exist in the imagination of anti-democratic elements.”
He explained that upon assuming office, Governor Aiyedatiwa ordered renovation works on the deputy governor’s lodge, which, according to him, is now ready for use.
He insisted Mr. Adelami “speaks glowingly” of the governor’s “unwavering commitment to democratic ideals” in both public and private conversations.
The statement urged political actors and commentators to “eschew bitterness and join hands with the forward-thinking government of His Excellency Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, a man helped by God to actualize the Ondo State of our dreams.”
