Official vehicle distribution not politically motivated - Ondo Assembly

The seven lawmakers in the Ondo State House of Assembly that were left out in the distribution of the operational vehicle last week by the state government have not been sidelined.

Spokesperson of the Assembly, Hon Gbenga Omole, gave this clarification in Akure.

Nineteen of the 26 lawmakers in the assembly benefitted from the largesse distributed to them by the governor Rotimi Akeredolu in Akure, the state capital.

They were presented 2020 model KIA Sportage SUVs. Speculations were rife that the seven lawmakers were left out for political reason. Recall that the seven lawmakers refused to sign the botched impeachment notice served on the deputy governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi.

Condemnation has greeted the sidelining of the seven lawmakers after the 19 were given the vehicles.

Speaking on the issue that had generated ripples, the spokesperson for the assembly, Hon Omole, denied that those yet to benefitted were deliberately sidelined for political reason.

Omole who dismissed this claim pointed out that "It is not true that some lawmakers were deliberately left out; the matter didn’t have anything to do with politics."

The chairman House Committee on information said that “The governor gave everyone. Two members of the PDP got.

“So, if it is political, there is no way the PDP lawmakers will get. So, nothing like politics in it.”

Recall that the opposition politicians parties in the state have knocked the state governor for playing politics with the distribution of the operational vehicles.

The deputy governor and the governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, Hon Agboola Ajayi said: “Presenting official vehicles to only members of the Ondo House of Assembly who are loyal to the governor and leaving out 9 who refused to sign impeachment process of the Deputy Gov is the lowest political strategy. The Peoples Democratic Party in its reaction by the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Kennedy Peretei, described the car gift as a waste of resources on mere Greek gifts and a desperate move to placate the state lawmakers. But the governor Akeredolu while presenting the vehicles to the 19 lawmakers said he was keeping to his promise to the lawmakers."

He said: "What matters to me is that when we make promises we keep them. It is not for political reasons." Akeredolu noted that, "We have been on this car issue for a while and luckily, it came today just before the flag off. Nobody is doing it for political reason. This is an improvement on what we had last."

Recall that this is the second time the governor would present members of the Ondo State House of Assembly with official vehicles in three and half years. He presented official vehicles to members of the assembly in 2018.