Akeredolu: There’s nothing anybody can do if I make my son the chief of staff

Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo state, says Babajide, his son, worked hard during his campaign and there is nothing anyone can do if he decides to appoint him as his chief of staff.

Speaking in Akure during a dinner organised in commemoration of his third anniversary as governor, Akeredolu said his son worked harder than most members of the campaign.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governor, who is seeking another term, charged the people to put in their best so he could secure another term.

“When somebody says Baba (Babajide) is this, I just laugh at them. If I wanted to make Baba my chief of staff, he can be; did you do more than him in the campaign? Ask yourself, how many of you did more than Baba in the campaign? How many?” he asked.

“The young boy was going everywhere and all of us saw him but we decided not to because he wouldn’t want it. My son is satisfied, that’s why. If he is not, I will put him somewhere, there is nothing anybody can do. I will put him there, there is nothing you can do. Is he not my son? Is he not from Ondo state? Has he not worked?”

Akeredolu and wife with Babajide, their sonThe governor also thanked Betty, his wife, saying he is not sure if the state could have a better first lady.

“I can never forget the great work that my wife has done in this state, I am not sure you can find a better first lady, someone who has great interest in women, great interest in children, great interest in whatever is good,” he said.

“I say to people, when I look at my wife, I say, look your wife can follow you because of love but you can’t take the love of her place from her. This is someone who loves you, loves this state and equally love her own state. You can’t find a better First Lady, you can’t see cause she’s committed to women cause. I am not too sure I know many women who are in government today who are there on their own.

“It’s all her efforts fighting me every-time that you can’t be for men alone, women must be in local government, they must be chairmen.”

Akeredolu also said he is ready to confront members of Unity Forum, a faction of the party allegedly frustrating his attempt to get a second term ticket.

He said he is no longer interested in any peace meeting but “battle ready” for members of the group.

Among members of The Unity Forum headed by Alli Olanusi, a former deputy governor, are Olusegun Abraham, who lost the party’s governorship ticket to Akeredolu in 2016, and Ajayi Boroffice, a serving senator.

Others are Olusola Oke, who contested against the governor in 2016 and Ifeoluwa Oyedele, an electrical engineer and political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, whom sources told TheCable, has support of key APC members for the 2020 governorship ticket.