Rotimi-Akeredolu

Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, says nobody can question him if he decides to appoint his son, Baba Jide, chief of staff.

Akeredolu said this during a dinner organised to commemorate his third year in force.

The governor said his soon worked tirelessly during his campaign and was at the forefront of making sure this governorship aspiration materialised.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governor, who is seeking another term, said his son worked harder than most members of the campaign.

He, however, implored the people to go all out and put in their best so he could secure another term.

“When somebody says Baba (Babajide) is this, I just laugh at them. If I wanted to make Baba my chief of staff, he can be; did you do more than him in the campaign? Ask yourself, how many of you did more than Baba in the campaign? How many?” he asked.

“The young boy was going everywhere and all of us saw him but we decided not to because he wouldn’t want it. My son is satisfied, that’s why. If he is not, I will put him somewhere, there is nothing anybody can do. I will put him there, there is nothing you can do. Is he not my son? Is he not from Ondo state? Has he not worked?”

Akeredolu and wife with Babajide, their sonThe governor also thanked Betty, his wife, saying he is not sure if the state could have a better first lady.

“I can never forget the great work that my wife has done in this state, I am not sure you can find a better first lady, someone who has great interest in women, great interest in children, great interest in whatever is good,” he said.

“I say to people, when I look at my wife, I say, look your wife can follow you because of love but you can’t take the love of her place from her. This is someone who loves you, loves this state and equally love her own state. You can’t find a better First Lady, you can’t see cause she’s committed to women cause. I am not too sure I know many women who are in government today who are there on their own.

“It’s all her efforts fighting me every-time that you can’t be for men alone, women must be in local government, they must be chairmen.”

Speaking on his conflict of the unity forum, a warring splinter group the party allegedly hampering his second term bid, Akeredolu said he was ready to damn consequences and confront members of the group.

He said he was no longer interested in any peace meeting but “battle ready” for members of the group.

Among members of The Unity Forum headed by Alli Olanusi, a former deputy governor, are Olusegun Abraham, who lost the party’s governorship ticket to Akeredolu in 2016, and Ajayi Boroffice, a serving senator.

Others are Olusola Oke, who contested against the governor in 2016 and Ifeoluwa Oyedele, an electrical engineer and political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, whom sources told TheCable, has support of key APC members for the 2020 governorship ticket.