The Ondo state government has dismissed and condemned a media report credited to the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Adamu, that the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is in state of extreme incapacity and hospitalised
Condemning the report in a statement, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, described the report as not only mischievous but wicked and insensitive reportage, sponsored by desperate politicians.
It will be recalled that a national newspaper (not Nigerian Tribune) reported the APC Chairman, Adamu, during a meeting with APC state Chairmen declared that the ailing Akeredolu was incapacitated and hospitalised.
But Ademola-Olateju urged the people of the state and Nigerians to ignore the news item and its contents, saying the National Chairman of APC was quoted out of context.
The Information Commissioner maintained that the news as the contents exist in the realm of the imagination of workers of iniquity and those behind the publication.
The statement stated that: “The attention of Ondo State government has been drawn to a report, credited to the Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, in the 11th July, 2023.
“The headline, “Akeredolu in state of extreme incapacity, hospitalised”, bore a tinge of the usual mischievous, wicked and insensitive reportage, sponsored by desperate politicians”
She explained that “The Chairman of the APC in Ondo State, Hon. Ade Adetimehin, who attended the meeting, has debunked the report as untrue and totally disconnected from the statement of the Chairman at the event.
“The National Chairman was indeed excited at the reports on the rate of recovery of the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and urged all those present at the meeting to pray for his quick return.”
Ademola-Olateju however, said “It, therefore, smacks of mischief and unabashed abandonment of professional ethics for a reporter to present this gross misrepresentation, a mischievous twist, as news.
“At no time did the Chairman mention that the Governor was in a state of “extreme incapacity”. He is, evidently, not in any critical state that should warrant this clearly reprehensible conduct as he still sent a post to the Executive Council Committee platform yesterday.
“Members of the public are advised to ignore this news as the contents therein exist in the realm of the imagination of workers of iniquity.
“Mr. Governor is NOT incapacitated. He will return to his duty as soon as the doctors certify him fully fit to do so.”
Governor Akeredolu on Monday informed the state lawmakers of his desire to extend his medical leave to allow him to recuperate after the medical attention.
Akeredolu in the letter stated that the request was a sequel to doctors’ advice on the need for him to take adequate rest after recuperating and promised to return soon after recuperation.
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