The Ondo State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the ruling All Progressives Congress have clashed over alleged misappropriation of public funds by the government of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
While the opposition party alleged that Aiyedatiwa stole a significant amount of money belonging to the Ondo people, the ruling party kicked, denying the accusation.
PDP believed that the governor squandered the public funds on frivolous activities during his 10 months in office.
The party therefore asked the people of the state to scold the governor by refusing to vote for him as APC gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
The PDP, in a statement released by its state’s PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Kennedy Peretei, on Monday, titled, ‘Ondo State is Not Lucky with Aiyedatiwa (7)’, claimed that billions of naira earmarked for state government projects were diverted into private accounts by Aiyedatiwa.
The statement noted that having understudied the governor in the last ten months as governor vis a vis his activities, it was discovered that humongous amounts of money belonging to the state have been diverted in the name of road construction projects.
It claimed that on July 22, 2024, more than N35 billion was approved for asphalt overlay of roads in four Akoko Local Government Areas, Ose, Owo, Ilaje, Idanre, Ondo, and Akure regions adding that three months later, these roads remain in the same condition as before the contracts were awarded.
The party then concluded that the substantial sums must have vanished into private pockets, “as contractors are not on site, citing non-payment.”
The PDP further alleged that a substantial amount of money was allocated for the renovation of the deputy governor’s lodge in 2022, yet the project remains incomplete.
According to the opposition party, the deputy governor, Mr Olayide Adelami, has been staying in a hotel since assuming office.
However, the Ondo State APC has dismissed the PDP’s allegations describing it as baseless and untrue.
Responding, the Director of Publicity of the APC in the state, Mr Steve Otaloro, dismissed the PDP’s allegations as baseless and aimed at undermining Governor Aiyedatiwa’s achievements.
In a counter statement, Otaloro said the PDP’s allegations are filled with inaccuracies, speculations, and misinformation, adding that during their 12-year reign in Ondo State, they achieved nothing of note.
He said the opposition party’s inability to offer a credible alternative to Governor Aiyedatiwa’s accomplishments has led them to resort to false accusations and lies.