Shock as Aiyedatiwa’s Aide slams Commissioners, issues slap threat. By Olatunde Martins

Shock as Aiyedatiwa’s Aide slams Commissioners, issues slap threat

A serious internal rift within the Ondo State Government erupted publicly on Saturday as the Senior Special Assistant, SSA to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Multimedia, Mr Taiwo Gbamila, launched a scathing attack on the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Mr Ayorinde Olawoye, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omomunmi Isaac.

The enraged aide accused them of sabotaging the Governor’s media operations.

Gbamila’s outburst, made during an All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting in Akure and later amplified through a viral video, exposed deep tensions within the administration, including allegations of financial strangulation, internal sabotage and open threats of physical confrontation among top government appointees.

He alleged that members of the Governor’s media team had endured months of neglect and financial deprivation in silence to avoid triggering an internal crisis within the APC.

According to him, while some commissioners allegedly enjoyed unhindered access to state resources, officials responsible for projecting the administration’s achievements were left to “suffer quietly” and fund official duties from their personal resources.

The aide claimed that funds approved for publicity and media operations were deliberately withheld by the Commissioner for Finance for extended periods, leaving the media unit incapacitated.

He alleged that allocations were suspended for as long as six months and later frozen again for another three months, stressing that the team’s restraint was borne out of loyalty to party stability, not incompetence.

Gbamila further accused the finance commissioner of unilaterally cutting off funds meant for public relations and media engagement, warning that such actions amounted to internal sabotage capable of crippling the administration’s communication machinery.

He said repeated appeals for the release of approved funds were ignored, forcing the media team to “die in silence while others lived comfortably.”

Turning to the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Gbamila accused him of deliberately frustrating efforts to showcase government projects.

He alleged that the commissioner repeatedly ignored calls and official messages from the media team and the Office of the Chief Press Secretary, leading to the collapse of a planned meeting to coordinate media coverage of ongoing projects.

He also claimed that the commissioner directed contractors handling state projects to deny journalists and media personnel access to project sites unless personal approval was granted, thereby blocking visual and documentary evidence of government performance from reaching the public and undermining the Governor’s image.

The situation took a dramatic turn when Gbamila admitted that he nearly assaulted the infrastructure commissioner during the meeting. He said only his respect for Governor Aiyedatiwa prevented the confrontation from escalating, adding that he would have reacted physically if the alleged remarks against the media team had been made outside the Governor’s presence.

He went further to challenge the commissioner to repeat the statements elsewhere, declaring that he would not hesitate to slap him, a threat that reportedly stunned party leaders and attendees.

The remark has since drawn criticism from political observers, who described it as reckless and damaging to the image of the administration.

Gbamila also alleged unequal treatment among appointees, claiming that while some commissioners enjoyed official vehicles and state-funded comforts, others relied on personal resources to carry out official assignments.

He accused unnamed officials of unchecked lavish spending, while professionals engaged to support government communication were allegedly left unpaid.

Warning of consequences, the aide said those undermining the media team would “leave the government empty-handed,” insisting that silence should not be mistaken for weakness.

He added that he was not afraid of losing his appointment, arguing that speaking out was preferable to enduring quiet oppression.

Political watchers say the episode has intensified scrutiny of internal coordination, discipline and financial transparency within Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration, with growing calls for APC leadership to intervene before the crisis deepens.

As at press time, neither the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing nor the Commissioner for Finance had responded to the allegations.