…Says Governor yet to earn his support
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Hon. Demola Ijabiyi, has dissociated himself from the vote of confidence recently passed on Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa by some Akoko leaders, declaring that the governor is yet to earn his support.
Ijabiyi, an elder of the ruling party from Afin in Akoko North-West Local Government Area, made his position known in a press statement made available to Starnews NG on Sunday.
The former commissioner explained that although he was invited to the meeting of Akoko leaders held on Saturday, May 31, 2025, where the vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu and Governor Aiyedatiwa was passed, he chose not to attend due to personal reservations.
“The convener, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan, specifically discussed the meeting with me. When I expressed reservations, he called to plead with me to attend. But I could not make it,” he said.
While affirming his unwavering loyalty to President Tinubu and expressing confidence in his leadership and reforms, Ijabiyi stated emphatically that he could not extend the same support to Governor Aiyedatiwa.
“For Governor Aiyedatiwa, I cannot be part of any vote of confidence in him. Both of us are members of the same party, and ordinarily, that should compel my support. But as a leader and elder of the party, he is yet to earn my vote based on his performance,” he declared.
Ijabiyi admitted benefitting from the governor’s patronage last December but described it as a personal gesture that should not be mistaken for public performance.
“He became Governor in December 2023 following the call to glory of his boss, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and was elected for a second term in November 2024. Altogether, he has been Governor for over seventeen months. During this period, he has been running routine governance with nothing to show in terms of creativity or innovation,” he said.
The APC stalwart lamented the absence of clear policy direction and legacy projects under the Aiyedatiwa administration, querying the utilisation of the state’s federal allocations and internally generated revenue.
“I do not know his programmes for the state. I do not know where he is leading us. I have no information on the state’s monthly allocations and IGR. What I do know is that all states are now receiving a lot of money from the Federation Account, and Ondo State is not an exception,” he said.
Ijabiyi condemned what he described as misplaced priorities of the Aiyedatiwa-led administration, particularly the decision to construct luxury residences for cabinet members at a cost of nearly N9 billion and the construction of a park valued at N3.7 billion.
“These types of priority are puzzling,” he said.
He further drew attention to the deplorable conditions of infrastructure in his constituency, including the impassable roads connecting the towns of Afin, Ese, Irun, and Ogbagi, as well as dilapidated schools and lack of basic amenities such as potable water.
“In Afin, our schools are in a sorry state. The Afin Development Association has had to recruit and pay teachers in Ado-Ugbo Grammar School to fill the gap. In Akure, the roads leading to my residences in Shagari Housing Estate and Obaile Housing Estate have been abandoned. I remain the provider of my own water,” he lamented.
He also expressed uncertainty over the status of the Owena multipurpose dam project and the Awara Dam in Ikare, which have both failed to deliver water to the communities.
“Everybody has stories to tell. The grumbling in town is deafening. And as a party leader frequently confronted by members of the public on Aiyedatiwa’s performance, I have no explanation to offer,” Ijabiyi added.
He called for a fundamental change in the governor’s leadership style and governance approach, warning that without visible transformation, the governor would not earn his confidence or support.
“It is against this background that I cannot be part of the vote of confidence passed on him by my fellow leaders in the four local government areas in Akoko. I therefore dissociate myself from it. He must change if he must have my confidence,” he said.
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