Why Aiyedatiwa hasn’t moved into Ondo Govt House

Three weeks after his swearing-in as the substantive Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been operating from his old Deputy Governor’s office since he assumed the position of the state governor.

Saturday PUNCH observed that Aiyedatiwa had yet to occupy the Governor’s Office located at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital.

Aiyedatiwa, who was sworn in on December 27, 2023, shortly after the death of the late former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, was said to be gradually settling down for business of the government.

In his maiden address, the new governor promised to continue from where his predecessor stopped and also vowed to carry along all the stakeholders in his new administration.

Also, after the swearing-in, the governor was reported to have met with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, but the later was said to have advised him to reorganise the All Progressives Congress in the state before choosing the deputy governor.

According to a source, he was said to be currently making consultations on whom to choose as his deputy from either the central or northern senatorial districts of the state.

It was, however, gathered that as the governor resumed duty, he had been operating from his former office which he used as the deputy governor’s office.

A source in the Governor’s Office disclosed that the governor had yet to move into the main governor’s office as of Friday, adding that Aiyedatiwa was not making use of the Government House

The source said, “The governor has been coming to the office, but he has been using his old deputy governor office to operate and receive visitors. He has yet to occupy the state Government House too. The only place he uses in the Government House is the Presidential Lodge where he receives visitors. The governor’s residential lodge too has not been used by the governor.”

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, confirmed that the presidential lodge was being used by the governor to receive visitors while some other areas were under renovation, adding that the Governor’s Office was under renovation.

“The governor has been using the Government House; he receives visitors at the presidential lodge. Others are undergoing renovation. Very soon, everything will be alright. The new building in the Government House is nearing completion and he might be using there.

“The main governor’s office too is under renovation; after the renovation, the governor will move in,” the CPS stated