THE Mimiko Campaign Organization in Ondo State is asking the governorship candidate of the rival Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, to clear his name of the series of allegations of fraud leveled against him in his past leadership positions.
Specifically citing two such positions, for which it says Akeredolu is banned from holding public office for 25 years, the Mimiko Campaign Organization asked Akeredolu, a former Nigeria Bar Association president, to quit the governorship race in the alternative given his alleged vacillation in the face of the allegations.
Mr. Akeredolu had been alleged by his fellow executive members of the Nigeria Bar Association of financial impropriety during his leadership of the Association.
In the letter of complaint signed by Mr. Okoye Aniche, the 3rd Vice President, Chief Ganny Ajape, welfare secretary and Steve Onyechi Ononye, the assistant financial secretary, Mr. Akeredolu was accused of monumental fraud and gross abuse of office during his tenure as the president.
The development comes alongside revelations that Akeredolu was indicted by a 1999 Judicial Probe Panel headed by Justice Rasheed Fawehinmi, which thereafter banned him from holding political office for 25 years.
Mr. Akeredolu served as attorney general and commissioner for justice under the Anthony Onyearugbulem military administration. He was indicted by the judicial panel and ordered to refund the sum of N9.2million to the Ondo State government.
The Mimiko Campaign Organization, the official organization of Governor Mimiko’s run for second term, is challenging the ACN standard-bearer to clear his name of the allegations, saying that it is a serious issue when both public offices previously held by Mr. Akeredolu were colored by charges of corruption.
According to the statement signed by the Organization’s director of publicity and media relations, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, it noted that if Mr Akeredolu, a very senior member of the bar could be so indicted, first as the president of NBA by his co-executive members who chronicled his alleged misdeeds, and later as a state commissioner, it calls for serious musing.
“Mr Akeredolu should speak out, this is a moral burden not only for him but for the people of Ondo State who are wont to ask: ‘Can this man be trusted?’
“If he could be a Commissioner for a few months and was indicted and also as NBA President, he had questions to answer from his colleagues over the issue of finances, an allegation, the burden of which he had not discharged by way of response, then does he have the right to want to rule the State?
“Our challenge to the Learned Silk is that he should respond to the issues raised by his NBA colleagues and also tell the whole world what transpired at the Justice Rasheed Fawehinmi Judicial Probe Panel on Capital Projects which indicted him in 1999 and placed an embargo on him from holding public office for 25 years.
“If Democracy must thrive in our land, accountability, probity and transparency must be our watchword and the pedigree of candidates who want to stand for election should not be taken for granted hence the people of Ondo State deserve to know what transpired and Akeredolu cannot continue to take them for a ride by pretending all was well,” the statement added.