The Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Strategy to the departed Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Dr. Doyin Odebowale has said that his commitment and loyalty to his former boss are not transferable.
Explaining why he resigned following the governor’s death, he noted that despite his loyalty to his former boss, he has no issues with the new Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
In his words: “I have worked with Akeredolu for 30 years. I was the last person who convinced him to contest in the last election. I wrote all his campaign content. It is more of a personal reason to me. I have nothing against whosoever is in office now.
“I have nothing left to do in the office when the person who brought me there is no longer there. I can’t remain in that space and pretend. I can’t be as committed as I was with Akeredolu because I got all his support. It was not politicking. He gave me the wings to fly. He was my brother like a family.”
Odebowale and other key aides of the departed governor including the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands, and Housing Aminu Raimi; Special Assistant on Photography, Olawale Abolade; Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties Dare Aragbaye; and Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, resigned after Governor Akeredolu’s passing on Wednesday in Germany.
They had in their letters of resignation addressed to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, cited Akeredolu’s death as the reason for their actions.
Odebowale said on Saturday that he resigned his appointment because he could not guarantee the same commitment with which he worked with Akeredolu.
Noting that he had performed his duties with the full support of the late governor whom he said he had worked with for over 30 years, he added that he convinced Akeredolu to contest the governorship in 2018 and that led to him holding the office of a special adviser to the governor to run the affairs of the state.
