Agboola Ajayi

Alfred Agboola Ajayi (born 24 September 1968) is a Nigerian politician, lawyer, and businessman who served as deputy governor of Ondo State from 2017 to 2021.

On 21 June 2020, Ajayi resigned his membership from the ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the opposition party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing irreconcilable differences between him and his governor, Rotimi Akeredolu and that the APC party 'has become a poisoned space'. He then joined Zenith Labour Party after losing the PDP gubernatorial primaries to Eyitayo Jegede. He was the 2020 gubernatorial candidate of Ondo State in Zenith Labour Party led by former governor Olusegun Mimiko.

Early life and education Ajayi was born on 24 September 1968 to Chief Newton Ajayi and Mrs Rebecca Ogunjinte (née Olubusade). He hails from Kiribo Town of Western Apoi tribe in the Ese Odo 'Local Government Area' (LGA) of Ondo State. He attended Community High School in Kiribo Town and later moved to Methodist High School in Okitipupa LGA. He then went on to study Law degree at Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo State and graduated with Bachelor of Law (LL.B) at 2nd Class Upper division; and subsequently received his Call to the bar in 2010 after graduating from the Nigerian Law School in Abuja. On 11 October 2020, Akeredolu and Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa were re-elected Governor and deputy governor of Ondo State as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. On 25 February 2021, Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa were sworn into office as Governor and Deputy Governor of Ondo state respectively.

Controversies

In 2019, Ajayi was accused of having lied to gain admission into the Nigerian Law School while he was still in a full-time employment with the Nigerian government.

He has also been having political battle for months with his boss, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, whom he accused of attempting to strangulate his political ambition;

But on 20 June 2020, following the order from the Governor, the police commissioner of Ondo State (CP Bolaji Salami) and his armed policemen restricted and barred Ajayi from leaving his official residence in the Government House for over four hours; and when he finally gained his freedom he went straight to his Apoi Ward 2 in Ese-Odo LGA to tender his resignation from the APC party and thereafter crossed over to the PDP ward office to register his new membership. On 23 June 2020, two days after his defection to PDP, Governor Akeredolu ordered that all Ajayi's seven aides be withdrawn, including the two aides assigned to the wife of the embattled deputy governor. News of a possible impeachment continues to also circulate with the rumour that members of the Ondo State House of Assembly are plotting or making plans to impeach him out of office.

Personal life Ajayi is married to Chief Ajewole Agboola Ajayi JP and they have children.