HOURS after sacking commissioners and aides appointed by his late principal, Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has appointed Olaide Adelami as his deputy.
Adelami, a former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, is from Owo Local Government Area (LGA), the same LGA as Akeredolu.
A statement by the governor’s chief press secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Wednesday, January 24, said the new deputy governor’s name had been forwarded to the state House of Assembly for confirmation.
In April 2018, Adelami stepped down from his role as Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly.
He contested the Ondo State governorship election under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2020 but withdrew for Akeredolu.
Aiyedatiwa became governor in December 2023 after Akeredolu died of protracted prostate cancer.
Being Akeredolu’s deputy, Aiyedatiwa served in an acting capacity before his death and was sworn in as governor hours later.
Akeredolu’s long absence from Nigeria while attending to his health in Europe resulted in a feud between him and his deputy following the late governor’s insistence on retaining power despite being unable to function optimally.
Some Akeredolu’s aides tendered their resignation letters upon Aiyedatiwa’s assumption of office, with some citing loyalty to the late governor as the reason for their decision.
A reporter with the ICIR
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