How I Became An Author (Part II)
by Allen Sowore Esq
Newsry news
20th August, 2025
On August 17th, 2024, I added another feather to my cap with the unveiling of my memoir, “The Journey: Long Road to Stardom – The Political Trajectory of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.”
Since its release, many readers who have gotten their hands on the limited copies in circulation have reached out to express their appreciation for the unique artistry and model writing style that God has blessed me with.
Once again, I am deeply grateful to God Almighty for His loving kindness.
Today, I feel compelled to share with you the story behind my decision to write this memoir.
I have always thought of writing a book to detail my public service in Ondo State. I initially considered writing about public office holders and their challenges, based on my firsthand experiences with the political leadership of the state since 1999.
However, I never thought of narrowing my discursive engagements of politics and governance on the office of the Deputy Governor until June 19, 2020.
On that date, the then Deputy Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency Alfred Agboola Ajayi, had planned to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the governorship ticket for the November 2020 election.
The governor at the time, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, CON, of blessed memory, got wind of Ajayi’s plans through a security report. Though not particularly concerned about Ajayi’s defection, Akeredolu was troubled and irked by former’s intention to leave without resigning as Deputy Governor and taking the paraphernalia of office with him.
In response to Ajayi’s planned defection to the opposition party, Akeredolu quickly arranged a security operation which was coordinated by his Senior Special Assistant on Special Duty, Dr. Doyin Odebowale, to prevent Ajayi from taking his official vehicles — a plan that involved alerting all heads of security agencies. However, stripping a sitting deputy governor who enjoyed immunity was not that straightforward, and the act led to stiff and swift resistance from Ajayi’s security aides.
A standoff ensued at the Government House gate in the middle of the night between the Government House security agents and Ajayi’s security details in the latter’s attempt to escort their principal out with statutory vehicles in his convoy. This confrontation, which lasted until the next day, attracted nationwide condemnation. By 8:00 am following public outcry and condemnation of the action of the government and its agents, Ajayi was allowed to take his official vehicles to his private residence at Ijapo Estate, Akure.
By the afternoon of the same day, all the media aides of Ajayi, including myself, were summarily sacked and asked to hand over government property in a terse official statement. This sudden dismissal of all the media aides of the Deputy Governor was linked to the recording and circulation of the standoff at the Government House when the attempt to strip Ajayi of his official vehicles was gallantly resisted and thwarted. Since that day, I have become a self-appointed defender of the office of the Deputy Governor, mainly because most occupants of that office are so often treated with disdain and the office dismissed as inconsequential according to tenets of Nigeria’s warped political culture.
Ajayi did not secure the PDP governorship ticket in 2020 and his foray into the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) yielded no noteworthy results as he came third in the gubernatorial election. However, my focus on the office of the Deputy Governor continued.
My first close encounter with Honourable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa was in 2016, during the campaign for candidate Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN in the Irele local government area. When Akeredolu’s vehicle broke down, Aiyedatiwa provided a convoy for the campaign to continue. His support was consistent during trips to the Southern Senatorial District of the state, not to mention the fact that the giant antennas of the vehicles that he provided for the campaign sparked curiosity among the party supporters and voting public.
I met Aiyedatiwa again at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, where he had surprisingly joined the governor’s aides in welcoming Akeredolu from a trip to the United States. This piqued my curiosity about Akeredolu’s confidence in Aiyedatiwa.
In 2020, after the APC primary election, Akeredolu nominated Aiyedatiwa as his running mate.
During the second term inauguration on May 29, 2021, Akeredolu expressed his preference and love for Aiyedatiwa, suggesting he might succeed him. This display of favoritism towards Aiyedatiwa ultimately sparked intense political scheming within the administration of Akeredolu, leading to impeachment plots and aborted plans against Aiyedatiwa that involved a pre-signed resignation letter.
This memoir represents an honest attempt to capture the political trajectory of His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa — a man who enjoyed a quiet private life until he fortuitously became a central figure in state politics due to the machinations of political insiders. Despite the formidable challenges that he faced, Aiyedatiwa’s story has garnered public sympathy and interest with increased popularity.
This book draws extensively from my interactions with the governor and contains his speeches, public appearances, insights from family, close associates, and friends. It offers a glimpse into the life of a patient and faithful man, who, despite facing numerous challenges, ultimately took the oath of office as Chief Executive of Ondo State just three months after a well-oiled impeachment and forced resignation attempts were made.
Allen Sowore Esq is the SSA to Ondo State Governor on Strategic Communication and the Author the ” The Journey”
19th August, 2024.
