By Ken Afor
The Ondo State Government has emphatically stated that nobody has been forging the signature of the state’s governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.
This trails an allegation by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kayode Ajulo, on Monday that some government officials of the Ondo State government are signing documents in the name of Governor Akeredolu.
The senior lawyer stated that as power had not been constitutionally transferred from Governor Akeredolu to Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, this has opened the door for certain individuals to seize control of the state’s governance.
He said, “I have it on good authority as a lawyer. Some of the commissioners, about five of them, sent memos to the governor, and they all returned with approval.
“Going through the approval compared to what the governor had approved when he was hail and hearty, there are notable disparities in them.”
Reacting to the allegation, Richard Olatunde, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, debunked the claim, labeling it as ‘utterly preposterous and ludicrous’ and saying the allegation arose solely from the rumor mill.
He said, “This accusation of forging Mr. Governor’s signature is utterly preposterous and ludicrous, stemming solely from the figment of their imagination.
”I want to assure you that no one is forging Mr. Governor’s signature. The circulated content on social media, which some people are relying on as evidence, is laughable.
“If they genuinely believe there is a disparity, they should present a legitimate document to support their claims.
“We are more than willing to thoroughly investigate the matter and prosecute anyone found culpable.
“The main issue here is that we cannot entertain baseless speculations and unfounded claims.
”A group of individuals somewhere has assembled two signatures, yet they cannot even determine which one belongs to the governor.
“They refuse to disclose the documents that were allegedly signed or provide any information regarding the dates.
“The individuals behind these fabricated signatures are the real culprits engaging in criminal activities.
“It is disheartening to see a supposed legal practitioner making such statements on national television.
“How did they arrive at the conclusion of forgery? Where is the document that supposedly contained the forged signature? Why are they not revealing the beneficiary of this document? By concealing such a document and engaging in unnecessary media theatrics, they are doing a great disservice to the state and the people.”
Asserting his stand, Olatunde who was authorised by the Governor to speak on the matter said only his principal can tell if his signature has been forged.
He said, “I have personally spoken to the Governor, and he has asked me to emphatically refute this claim.
“The truth of the matter is that only Governor Akeredolu can claim that his signature has been forged.
“The signature of Mr. Governor is not forged. Please disregard these crisis entrepreneurs. Their real gains are in crisis, not peace.”
