Reactions have continued to trail the reports and videos of Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, preventing the Deputy Governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi, from leaving the Government House on Saturday night.
In the videos circulated on social media, the police boss was seen preventing Ajayi from leaving with vehicles which the latter claimed belonged to him and not the government.
Reports indicated that Ajayi planned to exit the Government House in preparation for his anticipated defection to the People’s Democratic Party on Monday after some political issues with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
It is believed he would resign from the All Progressives Congress(APC) at Kiribo, in Eseodo Local Government Area on Monday and declare for the PDP.
In the widely circulated video, the CP was heard saying: “What government is saying is that you cannot go out with official vehicles. This is politics, I am not saying it is right. This is Government House. The Governor is the one talking, give me few minutes, let me talk to my boss.”
But Ajayi replied that a repeat of 1983 political violence would be vehemently rejected by the people of the state before querying the police boss with: “Are you a member of the PDP or APC? It is you stopping me now. What is your concern about my leaving from one place to another? Do you know how many hours I have spent here? I personally paid for these vehicles. You should not have put yourself in mess.”
Refuting the allegation of looting the Government House, Special Assistant (New Media) to the Deputy Governor, Allen Sowore, said it was a ‘grand plan to blackmail and put the office of the Deputy Governor into disrepute for political gain’.
In a statement on Saturday, Sowore said his principal has directed security agents to search his aides when moving in and out of the vicinity.
Reacting to the incident, Akeredolu, through his Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajibode, said the alleged looting has been ‘noted with serious concern and attention given to same’.
While calling for calm as the situation, the Governor commended security agents for preventing the carting away of government properties.
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