Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Governor of Ondo State, denied on Monday being implicated in a certificate forgery scandal, which is being reported on several news platforms. the news as the product of some of his political adversaries.
Describing the news as a product of some of his political adversaries, the governor’s spokesman, Ebenezer Adeniyan, stated in a statement that the news was untrue and a ruse to distract the incoming governor.
He thinks an unnamed governorship candidate made the forgery accusation.
In a statement captioned ‘Certificates: the blackmailers are at it again,’ the governor’s aide described the forgery allegation as false and mischievous.
“Our attention has been drawn to the mischievous plans by some political actors to embark on fresh unsubstantiated allegations against the Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
“After failing woefully with their attempts to paint the governor in bad light with the stories around the death of the former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, these desperate elements have resorted to blackmail. The first of such is to use faceless groups and individuals to make allegations of certificate forgery against the governor.
“A governorship aspirant last night held a meeting with some individuals at a popular hotel in Akure where he gave the directive to those present to write stories alleging that the governor used forged certificates to contest the election.” the statement partly reads
Adeniyan added that the allegation was part of a plot allegedly aimed at discrediting the governor ahead of the upcoming September governorship election in the state.
“Mr. Governor contested in a joint ticket with his former principal in the 2020 governorship election and his credentials were duly submitted to the INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission), and they are in the public domain.
“Mr. Governor remains committed to delivering on his promises to develop Ondo State and will not be distracted by the shenanigans of shameless politicians and their cronies,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa has been in office for less than two weeks as governor. He was sworn in on December 27, 2023, following the death of his principal, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who had been battling prostate cancer for several years.
Aiyedatiwa, the acting governor at the time of Akeredolu’s passing, had to fight off an impeachment plot by the state House of Assembly, which was allegedly loyal to Akeredolu.
