Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
The ousted Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in Ondo State, Mr Solagbade Amodeni, has rated the national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu higher than Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in the politics of the state.
He said Tinubu controls a higher number of followers and supporters than Akeredolu who has been ruling the state for about three years.
Amodeni who was sacked on Monday by Governor Akeredolu for allegedly attending a political meeting called by Tinubu, said his sack from Akeredolu’s cabinet was not unexpected.
“If there was anybody that was qualified and eligible to be sacked from Akeredolu’s cabinet, I think I was not the one. I have no regret for being dropped as a commissioner by Akeredolu,” he said.
The former commissioner said he merited his sack from the cabinet of Akeredolu considering the frosty relationship between Akeredolu and Tinubu, who he described as his political leader and mentor.
The APC chieftain who did not confirm attending any meeting with Tinubu, however, stressed that he has a cordial relationship with him.
He refused to give any reason for his sack other than maintaining that his closeness to Tinubu was second to none.
Tinubu and Akeredolu had been at loggerheads since the conduct of the governorship primary election that produced Akeredolu as Tinubu allegedly sponsored another candidate against him.
It was also rumoured that Tinubu was also planning to sponsor a candidate against Akeredolu in the next year’s governorship poll in the state.
However, Amodeni claimed that he was not surprised with the sack, saying that he would continue to choose Tinubu as leader and place him above Akeredolu.
“Tinubu is greater than any governor in the history of Ondo State including Akeredolu. He is greater than any politician I have ever known or met in the world. He’s a world political leader and I will forever cherish and adore him,” he added.