By Ishaya Ibrahim
Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu breathe his last on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at the age of 67.
Here are some facts about the Governor who is believed to have died after a prolonged battle with leukemia.
- Akeredolu 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.
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- He studied Law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and graduated in 1977. He proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 1978.
- Akeredolu was the 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.
- Akeredolu was appointed Attorney General of Ondo State from 1997 to 1999. In 1998, he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
- Aketi, as he is fondly called became president of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2008.
- In December 2009, Akeredolu delivered a speech in his capacity as NBA President where he said no amount of electoral reform or judicial system could give Nigeria free and fair elections if Nigerians themselves refused to take practical steps to ensure that their votes count.
- In the same lecture, Akeredolu said Umaru Yar’Adua should handover to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan in an acting capacity during his illness, a statement that was backed up by the Nigerian Bar Association who said he was authorized to speak on their behalf. Ironically, when Akeredolu took ill as Ondo Governor, it took the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu before he handed over to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
- In November 2011, Akeredolu took his first shot at becoming Governor of Ondo State where he joined aspirants jostling for the ticket of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He won the ticket of the party, and went head-to-head to battle the incumbent, Olusegun Mimiko and Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mimiko won the election.
- In 2016, Akeredolu secured the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In the election, he was declared winner of the keenly contested 2016 Ondo State gubernatorial election. He won a re-election in 2020 which would have elapsed later in 2024.
- He left behind a wife, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu who is three years older than him. She is from Imo State. He also left behind four children and grandchildren.