ONDO State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has named Kayode Ajulo, a senior advocate, and five others as commissioner-nominees.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniran, said in a statement on Friday, February 2, that the nominees’ names had been sent to the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
The ICIR reported that Aiyedatiwa selected a former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, 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 the state’s immediate past and late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
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..
Part of the Friday’s statement on nominees read, “The nominees are Mrs. Omowumi Isaac; Mr. Olukayode A. Ajulo, SAN; Razaq Obe, Pastor Emmanuel Igbasan; Akinwumi Sowore and Mr. Oseni Oyeniyi.”
The statement added that the governor had also appointed the three special advisers to work in different capacities.
They are: Olugbenga Omole, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy; Mrs. Olamide Falana, Special Adviser on Gender Affairs, and Mr. Alabi Johnson, Special Adviser on Energy.
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.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M