Gov. Dapo Abiodun, Deputy Allegedly In Cold War Over Contracts

L-R: Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his deputy, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele

Barely eight months into their journey in government, the relationship between Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his deputy, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, is reportedly becoming like that of cat and mouse.

A reliable source claimed that the governor fired the bullets first when ”he started giving cold shoulders to Mrs. Salako-Oyedele within the cabinet”.

Giving details of the alleged rift, the source said that the deputy governor, a certified engineer with over 30 years of experience in consulting, contracting and real estate management, had been placed in charge of the state’s works ministry.

She was particularly asked to oversee ongoing rehabilitation works at the 325 wards across the three senatorial districts of the state, according to the source. But, the source said, since the ministry was placed under her watch, the deputy governor had little or no contribution in the award of contracts for either road construction or rehabilitation.

The source said that, since she started supervising the ministry, ”a lot of contracts had been awarded, like rehabilitation of public primary schools and repair, reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads across the state but none had her approval”.

Although, the deputy governor’s media aide denied there was misunderstanding between her and her principal, the source insisted that the cold rift got to an extent where Mrs. Salako-Oyedele considered the options of either reporting the governor to party elders in the state or challenging him physically on the matter.

”She was sidelined in the scheme of events in the state and this was really giving her sleepless nights. At a stage, she contemplated confronting the governor or reporting him to party chiefs,” alleged the source, who added that the choice of the 53 years old Salako-Oyedele from Ado Odo Ota Local Government area, was made after careful deliberations and wide consultations by party leaders, elders and stakeholders at a meeting held at the Abeokuta residence of a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba.

When the matter was getting to the peak, claimed the source, the deputy governor reportedly lodged complaints with the permanent secretary in the works ministry, who allegedly replied that, ”things are the way they are based on order from above”.