The fact that the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has denied reports of a deep-rooted crisis with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is no longer news.

Not that he denied the frosty relationship alone, Agboola also said he has no plan to dump the All Progressives Party (APC) or his boss ahead of their joint ticket in 2020.

But news making the rounds has signaled that Ajayi may be dropped as the deputy governorship candidate in the July governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

It was gathered that Akeredolu’s estranged deputy has reportedly struck a deal with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on his possible defection to the party to pick the governorship ticket.

But the Deputy Governor had said the news about the so-called disagreement between him and the governor was being peddled by political jobbers who wanted the government to patronise them.

Meanwhile sources said that Akeredolu has ruled out pushing for impeachment of Agboola or asking him to resign from his cabinet. It was gathered that the idea was mooted last week but Akeredolu reportedly told his aides to let the deputy be and allow posterity be the judge.

However, news coming from the Governor’s camp indicated that there are already signals from Akeredolu that he might drop Agboola before the party primaries unless certain powerful forces intervened.

Kakaki Newspot learnt that the Chairman of the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs Oladunni Odu may be picked as replacement to Ajayi.

Odu is from the southern senatorial district of the state just like Ajayi and had been a grassroots politician and mobilizer for over two decades.

As the state approaches the October 2020 election, there are interesting times ahead as more political development will likely shape the process of the election.

Akeredolu is currently facing re-election battle. Some chieftains of the APC under the auspices of the Unity Forum and another group led by Ambassador Olusola Iji have vowed to unseat him.

The governor on his part has ruled out any reconciliation with the groups and has opted to face them at the party primaries. Akeredolu, therefore, according to one of his close associates, a top government official, “needs people he could trust and his deputy is not one of them.”