Widow of late Governor of Ondo State, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, caused a stir after she imputed betrayal to her deceased husband’s niece, Funke Akeredolu-Aruna.
Recall that crisis broke out within the ranks of late Akeredolu’s politcal camp previous to his demise with some memebers disposed to the then Deputy governor-now-governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa just acting in name.
The fight has not simmered. Instead, Aiyedatiwa’s desire to seek election in November 16 governorship poll on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is polarising the camp further with the immediate-past first-lady not a fans of the ambition.
The latter in terms of her candidate for the said poll is at variance with Akeredolu-Aruna, and she recently accused the Deputy Chief Protocol of being a “serpent” via the social media saying in a post, “Behold the face of Aketi’s niece, Funke Akeredolu Aruna, the former deputy chief protocol to Aketi, shamelessly parades as ‘I am lucky’ Bloody serpent! Time will tell if she is truly lucky!”
This has drawn rejoinder from Akeredolu-Aruna wherein she said the attack was politically motivated.
According to her, “Mummy (Akeredolu’s wife) is fighting and attacking me now because she has her reason and she is not supporting the incumbent governor.
“I just happened to be a victim of circumstances with whatever that is happening. I was the deputy chief of protocol in the last administration to my uncle (Akeredolu) and this present governor was like a family too to the Akeredolu family.”
While noting that the former governor and Aiyedatiwa were very close before he died, Akeredolu-Aruna said the late governor took the incumbent like a brother who could easily be trusted.
She proceeded: “So, I also called this present governor an uncle because of that when the initial issue started, I meant when Lucky was the deputy governor, I didn’t support the cabal.
“It got to a time, they started saying I was dating him (Lucky). When I heard that I was dating him I was surprised. You know that type of white lies that you believed that is not possible and because of what was going on, I didn’t believe all that was being said about him.
“Now that he (Aiyedatiwa) is now the present governor I happened to be one of the assistant convener of Orimisan Lucky Women in the state, a supporting group for his reelection bid and this particular group is number in the state because we are all over the 18 LGAs.
“So, we had a programme yesterday to chart a way forward and it was during this programme that they took my picture. It is just politics and I want to believe that it is the opposition that took that picture and started sending it around with blackmail.
“I think that’s where the late governor’s wife now got the picture and you know she was disappointed that I’m not in their camp and everybody knows I’m in Lucky’s camp. I have always been there when the whole shenanigans started especially when the politics was hot in the state. It’s not new to the family members that I’m Lucky.
“I won’t back out from Lucky’s camp. I cannot see where there is light and follow darkness. All these things that are flying around the incumbent governor are pure lies because as a Christian I cannot pitch my tent with lies. I have my integrity and I hold it in high spirits.”
