Chief Rotimi Akeredolu Ondo State governor-elect, on Wednesday, said he did not acknowledge a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in his victory speech on Sunday because it was not expedient to do so.
Akeredolu made this statement while answering journalists shortly after he and his deputy, Mr.Agboola Ajayi met president Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja.
The governor-elect, who said the relationship between him and Tinubu was cordial, explained that mentioning the name of the former Lagos State governor specifically would have amounted to him mentioning the names of about 37 other leaders of the party.
He said, “On the names that were mentioned in my speech when expressing gratitude and that I didn’t specifically thank Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I thanked the President and the leader of our party profusely for the leadership which he showed leading to this election.
“I also thanked our indefatigable chairman for standing by the truth and for his position on this matter that led to this election. I have no reason to do otherwise.
“Party structure, to the best of my knowledge, is very clear. You have the leadership of the party and that is represented by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
“After an election, a chief executive emerges, he becomes a leader of the party, you don’t have to personalise and be looking for leaders all over the place.
“If we have to do that, then I will have to mention 36 or 37 leaders. So, I believe the leadership as represented by the President covers all leaders and that tells me it would include Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it would include even Baba Akande, (Ogbonnaya) Onu, and so many leaders.
“But President Buhari is the leader of the party. So, that is my position there”
Akeredolu, however, added that Tinubu remained one of the leaders of the party, noting that he (Tinubu) had since sent a congratulatory message to him after he won the election.
“For me, as a person, I believe he is one of the leaders of the party and I don’t see any strained relationship between us. And you would observe that he has sent in his congratulatory message after the election, so what else do you expect?
“I mean all of us see this as a victory for the APC, not for Akeredolu, not for us an individual but for the party as a whole. I believe he is a member of the party. Mr. Femi Adesina had issued a release but you journalists just want to put words into our mouths,” he said.
Akeredolu also said he would not delibrately go out to probe Mimiko’s administration, However, he would also not overlook any cases of wrongdoing he stumbles upon during the course of carrying out his duties as governor.
He said, “At the centre, the government of President Buhari said we must look back in order to move forward, he has been there for over a year now, has he instituted a probe?
“Looking back is not a probe and I maintain that I will not probe any administration. This is responsible leadership and I am elected to lead the people.
“The task ahead of us is enormous than for us to start instituting probes. My own is not to institute any probe against the last administration and that is what President Buhari has done.
“But if we find out that wrongs were committed, we have enough laws of the land to take care of people who have committed wrongs.
The governor-elect also promised to implement his manifesto in line with the reality on the ground.
That, he said, did not mean that he would not deliver on all the five cardinal programmes he promised the people.
Meanwhile, Akeredolu on Wednesday pledged his loyalty to Odigie-Oyegun, whom he said he owed a debt of gratitude.
Akeredolu said this at the APC national headquarters, Abuja, where he presented his certificate of return to the leadership of the party.
Akeredolu also promised to work towards ensuring that the party repeats the same feat during the next governorship election in neighbouring Ekiti State.
He said, “I owe you, my national chairman, a lot. You have done well, I will be loyal. I remember during my campaigns; I said that immediately we win Ondo, we will move en mass to win Ekiti.”
Responding, Odigie-Oyegun urged the governor-elect to ensure prompt payment of outstanding workers’ salaries as soon as he resumes duty.
Odigie-Oyegun said, “People who work deserve their pay and I hope that would be your first priority.”
