The signature of the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has allegedly been forged on an official document.
The revelation was made by the Ondo State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Razak Obe, in a letter he wrote to the state deputy governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
In the letter, made available to newsmen on Friday, Obe called the attention of Aiyedatiwa to the alleged forgery going on in the sear of power of the state.
The commissioner, who said his allegation is not based on his knowledge alone, added that the forensic expert had confirmed that the governor’s signature was forged.
The letter read, “I write to call your attention to a critical matter that has been confirmed; the signature of Mr Governor on a certain document has been forged.
“The irregularities in the signature were first observed when a file from my ministry was returned through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government. This is the only file that has been returned so far out of the five files that were sent to Mr Governor for approval about two months ago.
“Under close inspection, I noticed significant differences between the suspicious signature and handwriting and Mr. Governor’s known signature and handwriting in the file.
“Concerned about the gravity of the situation, I decided to seek a forensic review before disclosing my discovery. I sent the suspicious signature handwriting samples and copies of the old regular signatures to forensic experts, who have now confirmed that the suspicious signature and handwriting were indeed forged.
“Despite the inherent risks involved, I have chosen to fulfill the obligations of my office by reporting this alarming development to you as the highest-ranking member of the State Executive Council after Mr. Governor. I firmly believe that this is the course of action our esteemed leader, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, would take in such a situation.
“Considering the possibility that such forgery may be widespread, this heads-up is of utmost importance to the government and people of Ondo State. I have attached a copy of the forensic report and relevant pages from the file for your reference.
“I urge you to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and take appropriate actions to address the situation. It is crucial that we restore the integrity of our processes and ensure that such a disturbing development is swiftly punctuated.”
Earlier, an allegation that some officials in the administration of Akeredolu were signing documents on behalf of the ailing governor was tabled by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kayode Ajulo.
According to him, the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, cannot take over from the governor since power has not been transferred to him constitutionally, making way for the hijack of state governance by the cabal.
He said, “I have it on good authority as a lawyer. Some of the commissioners, about five of them, sent memos to the governor, and they all returned with approval.
“Going through the approval compared to what the governor had approved when he was hale and hearty, there are notable disparities in them.