Ondo group dismisses N180m debt, impeachment claims against deputy governor

A political pressure group, the Ondo State Professionals in Politics Group, has dismissed reports alleging that Deputy Governor Olayide Adelami is being denied about N180 million in official entitlements and is facing an impeachment plot.

The group described the reports as attempts by unnamed political interests to create tension within the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and distract the government from its responsibilities.

In a statement issued in Akure on Monday, the group’s state coordinator, Ayodele Akinlabi, said its findings showed that Finance Commissioner Omowumi Isaac had been carrying out her duties in line with approved financial and budgetary procedures.

The group said claims that Adelami had been denied running expenses, travel allowances and other statutory entitlements for about eight months were unverified.

“Our group has carried out investigations and discovered that allegations that over N180m in running expenses, travelling allowances and other statutory entitlements due to the Deputy Governor have remained unpaid for about eight months, as being circulated on social media, are unfounded and unverifiable,” it said.

The group also rejected reports of a strained relationship between Aiyedatiwa and Adelami, saying there was no evidence that the deputy governor was being politically isolated or deliberately sidelined.

It defended the finance commissioner against allegations that she had withheld Adelami’s statutory entitlements, describing the claims as unfair and unsupported by available records.

On allegations that the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Amidu Takuro, had been bypassing Adelami in the affairs of his ministry, the group said the commissioner was acting on the governor’s directives.

The group further dismissed reports of an alleged plan to impeach the deputy governor.

“Our findings within the government show that there is no plot to impeach the Deputy Governor, contrary to speculations on social media,” it said.

It urged residents to disregard what it described as misinformation and appealed to political actors to stop attempts to create divisions within the administration.

The group said the government should be allowed to concentrate on implementing its programmes and projects for the people of Ondo State.