Lucky Aiyedatiwa, governor of Ondo state, is now spending more days per week in Abuja than in his home state, The Public has learnt.
The governor is said to be lobbying the Presidency for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The national leadership of APC has slated the shadow election of the party for April 25.
Aiyedatiwa on Tuesday officially declared his intention to contest the APC nomination.
The governor left for Abuja on an unofficial visit last week Wednesday and returned to the state on Sunday.
He reportedly left Akure for Abuja Thursday morning and the date of his return was unknown at the time of filing this report.
According to sources, Aiyedatiwa’s primary reason for temporarily relocating to Abuja is to lobby some power brokers who can persuade President Bola Tinubu to support his ambition.
It was gathered that all previous efforts made by the governor to have a one-on-one meeting with the President over his ambition were rebuffed.
It was further gathered that Aiyedatiwa may meet President Tinubu on Saturday, having been able to secure an appointment with the President.
It was also revealed that he is contacting some of the country’s prominent traditional rulers, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to speak with the president on his behalf.
Aiyedatiwa’s camp is becoming increasingly concerned about the Presidency’s continued silence on the governor’s ambition.
Aside from the Presidency, the APC governors in the south-west are not particularly interested in Aiyedatiwa’s governorship ambition.
An APC leader, speaking in confidence to The Public, said: “The governor must understand that this is not the time to stay in the state and relax. The Presidency is as silent as a graveyard, which causes me grave concern.
“Aiyedatiwa must be wary of these former loyalists of President Tinubu, who are now members of his inner caucus. Bola Ilori, Senator Ajayi Boroffice and others are traitors who are no longer welcome in the President’s camp.
“Ilori is a former governor Rauf Aregbesola’s unrepentant loyalist who publicly sided with his boss during the crisis between Aregbesola and Tinubu.
“Boroffice has had a falling out with Tinubu since 2019. To combat Tinubu, he joined forces with northern cabals in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. He even ran against the president in the APC primary.
“Unfortunately, these are the people who are deceiving Aiyedatiwa into believing they will speak with the President on his behalf. I challenge Ilori and Boroffice to provide proof that they spoke with the President or visited him in Aso Rock within the last one year.
“I laughed when I saw some Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s supporters celebrating a photo of the President and Ilori exchanging greetings during his last visit to the state in Owo. How can Ilori, who is still seeking Tinubu’s forgiveness, influence the President to support Aiyedatiwa?”
