Ondo governor, Akeredolu dies at 67

Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Aketi) has passed. The governor who had been battling leukemia for a while, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday at a hospital facility in Lagos State.

Sources close to the governor confirmed that Akeredolu succumbed to complications arising from his long-standing battle with leukemia.

Due to his health, Akeredolu, 67, had since March, 2023 left the state to take care of his health.

The governor’s illness had plunged the state into a state of political turmoil during his absence. The situation was exacerbated following a plot to impeach the deputy governor, Aiyedatiwa.

However, the crisis was promptly defused by the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, who called for calm and unity among political stakeholders.

Before his demise, Akeredolu had few weeks ago transferred power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to act pending his arrival from medical vacation.

The governor who had embarked on his fifth medical vacation had written to the Ondo State House of Assembly that he been proceeding on an indefinite medical vacation.

Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), won his re-election as the state governor in October 2020 and was sworn in for a second term in office in February 2021.

After spending months abroad, the 67-year-old politician came back to Nigeria in September and settled in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

On Wednesday, December 13, he proceeded on another medical leave and wrote a notice formally transferring power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa who later assumed the responsibilities of the governor in full acting capacity.