Despite being confined to his sickbed away from Ondo, ailing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has continued to sign documents and attend to other state matters. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, the Ondo information commissioner, said this. 

“Nobody is forging the governor’s signature. As I’m standing before you now, I sent two files to Mr governor and two files came back within a week and he approved what I asked for,” said Ms Ademola-Olateju on Thursday. “Nobody is looting the treasury of Ondo state. Nobody is forging the governor’s signature.”

She added, “The executive council is even bigger than the governor. The governor doesn’t even approve anything more than N20 million. When it’s more than that, he would even bring it to the notice of the exco. It’s the exco that would now rectify.”

On Wednesday, two signed documents surfaced online, alleging Mr Akeredolu’s signature was forged by some cabal in his cabinet to loot the state’s treasury.

But addressing journalists on Thursday, Ms Ademola-Olateju, who spoke after the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said, “Nobody is forging the governor’s signature.” 

Mr Akeredolu, who now lives in his Ibadan home since his return from abroad for medical treatment, has defied several calls for his resignation. 

The governor’s long absence in Ondo had also resulted in a political impasse between his cabinet members and Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa until President Bola Tinubu intervened.

“We discussed the Abuja peace meeting that was reached with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” said the information commissioner. “Just like it was done in the House of Assembly, we discussed the resolution made and we agreed on the key decisions made by the president.”

Ms Olateju-Ademola added, “We discussed among ourselves and resolved to embrace peace and all jokes among ourselves. We sang the national anthem and embraced each other.”