The relationship between Ondo State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and his Deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami mni, is attracting renewed attention amid allegations of growing political isolation, unpaid statutory entitlements and the gradual sidelining of the Deputy Governor from matters traditionally associated with his office.
At the centre of the concerns are allegations that more than ₦180 million in running expenses, travelling allowances and other statutory entitlements due to the Deputy Governor have remained unpaid for about eight months. The allegations have also raised questions about the extent to which the Deputy Governor is being carried along in the administration of affairs within the state.
According to information emerging from sources familiar with the situation, the alleged financial backlog has become a major source of frustration, with the Deputy Governor reportedly unable to access funds meant to support the effective discharge of his official responsibilities.
The allegations specifically point to the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omomumi Isaac as having withheld the payments, although the circumstances surrounding the alleged non-payment and the positions of the Governor and the Commissioner remain issues requiring clarification.
One of the allegations is that Governor Aiyedatiwa has not given the Deputy Governor any significant consideration in the distribution of political appointments, including positions within the State Executive Council, local government structures and ward-level political arrangements.
Particularly striking is the allegation that the Deputy Governor was not permitted to influence the selection of a councillor representing his ward, with the process allegedly influenced by the Commissioner for Finance.
To many politicians, such a development would represent more than an ordinary political disagreement. It would raise questions about the practical influence and political relevance of the second-highest-ranking elected official in the state.
The Deputy Governor's supporters are said to view the situation as a deliberate attempt to reduce his political space and render his office useless, redundant and increasingly ceremonial.
A source within the government circle further disclosed that the Commissioner for Finance had, several months ago, formally written to the Deputy Governor, informing him that the state government could no longer sustain the payment of his travelling allowances. This, according to the source, was despite the fact that a significant proportion of the Deputy Governor’s official trips were undertaken at the direction of, and on behalf of, the Governor.
It is equally concerning to hear that the wife of the Deputy Governor has reportedly been without an official vehicle for nearly three years since Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy assumed office. Observers find it unusual that she would have had to rely on the Deputy Governor’s personal vehicle for official movements over such an extended period.
Against this backdrop, it is increasingly difficult to dismiss concerns that Governor Aiyedatiwa may be treating his deputy in a manner that is arguably worse than what he himself reportedly experienced while serving as deputy to the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
Ironically, some of the very circumstances that many people had supported Aiyedatiwa in challenging now appear, according to these allegations, to be resurfacing under his administration. If the reports are accurate, the situation raises serious questions about the treatment of the Deputy Governor and the principles of fairness and mutual respect expected within the highest office of the state.
Stakeholders familiar with the development have reportedly described the alleged treatment as deeply unfair and inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation expected between a governor and his deputy.
Another major point of contention is the alleged involvement of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro in matters said to fall within the operational sphere of the Deputy Governor.
According to the allegations, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has increasingly handled issues relating to local government and chieftaincy without adequately carrying the Deputy Governor's office along.
The development is particularly significant because local government and chieftaincy matters have traditionally been areas in which the Deputy Governor can play an important coordinating and supervisory role.
The reported bypassing of the Deputy Governor has therefore fuelled speculation that there is a widening gulf between the two offices.
Perhaps the most visible indication of the reported strain is the allegation that the Deputy Governor has stopped attending the Night of Praise usually organised by the Governor every month and Sunday service at the Government House Chapel in recent months.
The development has attracted attention because such programmes are not merely religious gatherings within the Government House environment; they can also serve as informal occasions for members of the administration to interact and demonstrate institutional unity.
The alleged absence of the Deputy Governor has consequently been interpreted by some observers as a possible manifestation of deeper tensions within the administration.
However, the reason for his reported absence has not been independently established, and it would be premature to conclude that it was caused by the alleged withholding of his entitlements.
Taken together, the allegations paint a picture of a Deputy Governor who may be increasingly disconnected from key areas of the administration he was elected to serve.
The reported financial difficulties, alleged exclusion from political appointments, claims that his influence over his ward was curtailed, and the alleged bypassing of his office on local government and chieftaincy matters all point to what could become a significant political fault line within the Ondo State Government.
The situation also raises a broader question: how sustainable is an administration in which the Governor and Deputy Governor appear, at least from these allegations, to be operating at considerable distance from each other?
For now, there is no publicly established evidence that Governor Aiyedatiwa has formally sought the removal or impeachment of his Deputy Governor. Any suggestion of an impending impeachment should therefore be treated as speculation unless supported by concrete political or legislative action.
Nevertheless, the reported deterioration in the relationship is likely to continue attracting attention, particularly if the alleged financial obligations remain unresolved and the Deputy Governor continues to be excluded from important governmental and political activities.
The controversy ultimately goes beyond personalities. It concerns the functioning of the constitutional offices at the highest level of Ondo State's executive arm and whether the Deputy Governor is being provided with the resources, responsibilities and institutional access necessary to perform his duties effectively.
The allegations against the Governor, the Commissioner for Finance and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs are serious and deserve clear responses from the relevant authorities.
Until those involved publicly clarify the situation, questions will persist over whether the reported marginalisation of Deputy Governor Adelami reflects ordinary political differences, a deeper breakdown in the Governor–Deputy Governor relationship, or the emergence of a more consequential power struggle within the Ondo State Government.
For the people of Ondo State, the most important issue is not the personalities involved but the effectiveness, transparency and stability of the government they elected to serve them.
*Comrade Iseyemi Olusegun, a concerned indigene of Ondo State*
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