Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has died. He succumbed to the hand of death on Wednesday morning after a prolonged health battle at a German hospital where he was receiving treatment.
He died of leukaemia and prostate cancer, two ailments that had made him incapacitated for several months.
After a formal announcement of the governor’s death, the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, will be sworn in as substantive governor by the state’s Chief Judge.
Akeredolu went on his first medical leave to treat what was then an undisclosed ailment in June and returned in September. When he returned, the governor’s health was still being managed in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State where he intended to continue governing Ondo State, a situation that drew public outrage.
Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), ex-president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and ex-Attorney General of Ondo State, was a second-term governor before his death.
Akeredolu was born on 21st July 1956 in Owo, Ondo State to the Late Rev. J. O Ola Akeredolu of Owo and Lady Evang. Grace Akeredolu of Igbotu Ese Odo Government Area of Ondo State.
The precocious Aketi started his primary school education at Government School, Owo, before proceeding to the famous Aquainas College Akure in 1968.
He later proceeded to the prestigious Loyola College, Ibadan in 1969 to complete his secondary school education. He also attended Comprehensive High School Ayetoro for his higher Secondary School Certificate.
Akerdolu was admitted into the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University in 1974 popularly known as Oba Awon University. He obtained his LLB degree in 1977 and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School for his B.L in 1978.
Apart from his illustrious ancestry and cosmopolitan upbringing, a peep into his tenure as elected Vice President 1975/76, of the student University days at the famous and prestigious University Of Ife now (Obafemi Awolowo University) shows the architecture of service, fame and greatness in the making.
As a leader of the Students Union at Ife, Aketi helped to engineer a leadership focused on issues, robust debates and constructive engagements. He encouraged a genuine mobilisation of mass consciousness against inequality, injustice, corruption, arbitrariness and recklessness.
A devoted Christian with a warm and accommodating heart for people of other faiths, Akeredolu, in addition to a distinguished and Spartan career of legal practice, also donated his lifetime to a career of mentorship and social service.
He was a member, Oyo State Football association, 1992-1994, an associate Member, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Oyo State Branch. He also accepted and became the Patron, The Nigerian Law Society, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Patron, Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), Patron The law society, Faculty of Law, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. He was also the Patron, Sports Writers association of Nigeria, Oyo State branch.
Aketi was married to Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu and blessed with four children and many grandchildren.
