‘It’s wicked, insentive’-Ondo govt condemns report on Akeredolu, says governor not ‘incapacitated’

Akinwande Soji-Ojo

Ondo State Government has dismissed a media report credited to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen Abdullahi Adamu, that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, is in state of “extreme incapacity and hospitalised.”

While condemning the report in a statement issued on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Information and Orientation,  Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, said it was not only mischievous but wicked and insensitive reportage, sponsored by desperate politicians.

A national newspaper had reported that Adamu, during a meeting with the state chairmen of the party on Monday, declared that ailing Akeredolu was incapacitated and hospitalised.

But Ademola-Olateju urged the people of the state and Nigerians to ignore the news item and its contents, saying the APC National Chairman was quoted out of context.

“The attention of Ondo State Government has been drawn to a report, credited to the Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on 10th July, 2023.

“The headline, “Akeredolu in state of extreme incapacity, hospitalised”, bore a tinge of the usual mischievous, wicked and insensitive reportage, sponsored by desperate politicians.

“The Chairman of the APC in Ondo State, Hon. Ade Adetimehin, who attended the meeting, has debunked the report as untrue and totally disconnected from the statement of the chairman at the event.

“The National Chairman  was indeed excited at the reports on the rate of recovery of the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and urged all those present at the meeting to pray for his quick return.

“It, therefore, smacks of mischief and unabashed abandonment of professional ethics for a reporter to present this gross misrepresentation, a mischievous twist, as news.

“At no time did the chairman mention that the Governor was in a state of “extreme incapacity.” He is, evidently, not in any critical state that should warrant this clearly reprehensible conduct as he still sent a post to the Executive Council Committee platform yesterday.

“Members of the public are advised to ignore this news as the contents therein exist in the realm of the imagination of workers of iniquity.

“Mr. Governor is NOT incapacitated. He will return to his duty as soon as the doctors certify him fully fit to do so,” the commissioner said.

Recall that Akeredolu had on Monday informed the House of Assembly of his desire to extend his medical leave to allow him recuperate fully.

Akeredolu, in the letter, stated that the request was a sequel to doctors’ advice on the need for him to take adequate rest after recuperating and promised to return soon.