Stranded Aiyedatiwa Abandoned On Airport Tarmac By Airline.
Kayode Balogun
Ondo state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, suffered a huge humiliation on Tuesday in Akure, when he was abandoned on the airport tarmac, as the door of the aircraft he was to board was shut against him, even with his luggages almost been taking on board of the plane .
What made it more humiliating for the governor, was the fact that,his Peoples Democratic Party’s opponent in the November 16 gubernatorial election in the state, Agboola Ajayi and other passengers were onboard the flight that Aiyedatiwa could not board.
According to an eyewitness account, the Ondo state governor was to fly to Abuja from Akure with flight no N5 -GAA Green Africa which departed Akure on Tuesday 3th September, 20204 about 1135 hours.
It was gathered that the plane was still on the runway with doors still a jar, when the governor’s entourage arrived the airport with his luggage while the governor drove behind with his convoy few hours later .
The luggage was already at the tarmac with his protocol officials but the Governor himself we believed took the schedule time of departure for granted by coming late to the Airport.
Though the airport officials are aware the governor would be boarding the plane to Abuja, as his luggages have been brought to the airport events later played out, that the governor arrived the tarmac just as the aircraft’s door was being closed.
He moved towards the plane with the aim to board, but was taken aback, as he watched the door closed in his face with just a few steps to step into the aircraft.
Challenged for what many onlookers considered a slight on the governor, the airport officials claimed the aircraft wouldn’t have been delayed for the sake of one man, as the airline has record of adhering strictly, to it’s flight schedule.
It took the Governor and his entourage more than four hours for a NAF plane to the arranged on charter from Abuja to Akure to convey Mr Governor and his entourage to Abuja .
A source told this reporter at the airport, that the governor is not popular among the airport officials and they may have thus, decided to humiliate him deliberately, because according to the source,” it’s no big deal delaying flight for a VIP to arrive, especially a serving Governor”
