Victor Ezeja
AdminIt was all over the news this morning that the Ondo state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu passed on at 2am on Wednesday at the age of 67. According to the reports, his death was the culmination of his battles with leukemia and prostate cancer for months.
The Governor embarked on medical vacation on 3rd of April, 2023, and 10th of July, 2023. At that time, he handed over to the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa. He returned to the country from Germany on the 7th of September and wrote the state House of Assembly formally informing them of his resumption of duties.
However, he was not sighted in Ondo State as he was reported to be staying in his private residence in Ibadan. His absence created a leadership vacuum in the state and the executive council was divided into two factions consisting of those loyal to the governor and loyalists of the deputy governor.
Akeredolu’s return, remote work condition and initial refusal to hand over the reins of power to the deputy governor, sparked a political crisis in the state. Governor Akeredolu had in September sacked all the media aides attached to the office of the deputy Governor over purported charges of insubordination and flagrance disregard to the appropriate authority.
There were allegations that the governor’s signature was being forged by his loyalists in the conduct of government business. The developments led President Bola Tinubu to wade into the crisis on the 24th of November in a meeting at the Aso Villa with stakeholders from the State.
On the 13th of December, the Governor proceeded on another medical leave after being directed by President Tinubu to hand over power to his deputy, Aiyedatiwa. The Ondo house of assembly finally declared Aiyedatiwa acting governor on the 13th of December, 2023.
In an ensuing statewide broadcast, the acting governor admitted that the political crisis that had engulfed the state in recent time have challenged the love for the state and democracy, urging everyone to forget the past, come together, and join hands with him to develop the state.
Prime Business Africa now brings you the following facts to note about the deceased Governor:
1. Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu CON SAN was born on July 21, 1956, in Owo to Reverend J. Ola Akeredolu of the Akeredolu family and Lady Evangelist Grace B. Akeredolu of Aderoyiju family of Igbotu, Ese Odo, in Ondo State.
2. Akeredolu started his primary education at a government school in Owo. He proceeded to Aquinas College, Akure, Loyola College, Ibadan, and a comprehensive high school, Ayetoro, for his secondary school education and Higher School Certificate, respectively.
3. His middle name Odunayo means “Year of happiness” in Yoruba.
4. He studied Law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and graduated in 1977.
5. His adopted prefix is “Arakunrin”, while his nickname is “Aketi”.
6. Akeredolu was also a Managing Partner at the law firm of Olujinmi & Akeredolu, which he co-founded with Chief Akin Olujinmi, a former Attorney General and Minister for Justice of Nigeria.
7. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978.
8. Akeredolu was appointed Attorney General of Ondo State from 1997 to 1999.
9. He was made a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1998 and became president of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2008. Before then, he was Chairman of the Legal Aid Council (2005–2006).
10. In November 2009, he faced allegations of corruption when the Bar Association’s third Vice-President, Welfare Secretary, and Assistant Financial Secretary circulated a petition entitled “Complaints against your fraudulent manifestations, violation of the NBA”.
11. Subsequently, the allegations against him were reviewed and dropped by the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
12. In November 2011, Akeredolu was among a crowd of aspirants to be the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for governor of Ondo State in the 2012 elections.
13. On the 28th of July 2012, Akeredolu was selected as the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for governor of Ondo State during the ACN congress in Akure.
14. His selection pitched him in a head-to-head battle with the incumbent, Olusegun Mimiko, and Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
15. Akeredolu was awarded the ticket to represent the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2016 elections for governor. On Sunday, 27th of November 2016, he won the keenly contested 2016 Ondo State gubernatorial election having been announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission as scoring the highest number of votes.
16. He amassed 244,842 votes in the election to defeat Eyitayo Jegede with 150,380 votes and Olusola Oke with 126,889 votes. According to Professor Ganiyu Ambali, INEC Returning Officer, Akeredolu defeated two major opponents, Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), to clinch victory. He was sworn in as the governor of Ondo State on the 24th of February 2017 in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
17. A consummate politician, he assumed office as Ondo governor on February 24, 2017.
18. For his second term, Akeredolu was on the 21st of July 2020, declared the Ondo governorship candidate after the primary elections under the platform of the APC, for a second term.
19. In the 2020 Ondo State gubernatorial election was held on 10th of October 2020, Akeredolu won re-election for a second term, defeating PDP Eyitayo Jegede, ZLP Agboola Ajayi, and several minor party candidates.
20. He was the chairman of Southwest Governors Forum and spearheaded the formation of Amotekun to tackle the incursion of murderous herdsmen into the Southwest.
21. He reportedly died of leukemia.
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