Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Is Dead

By Ayodele Oni & Akinwale Kasali

Unofficial  reports early Wednesday indicate that Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is dead.

Although his death has not been officially announced by family members, but a senior official of the Ondo State Government, confirmed this on Wednesday.

The Governor commenced a medical leave for the second time on the 18th of December, after an intervention  by President Bola Tinubu, on the need to hand over power to his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Mr Akeredolu is reported to have suffered from the cancer of the blood, known as leukaemia, which continued to deteriorate despite intensive medical care outside the country.

The medical issue, it was gathered, was complicated by prostrate cancer.

It was reliably gathered that Mr Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN) reportedly died at a location in Lagos following the inability to return him to Germany where he was receiving treatment because of the risk associated with flying.

Reports said the Governor’s deteriorating health in the last few days, compelled President Bola Tinubu to approve transmission of power to the Aiyedatiwa.

He was said to have collapsed twice at his Ibadan residence, which compelled his son, Babajide, to request for an air ambulance from the President to return him to Germany.

Akeredolu left Ondo State capital since April when he first travelled out and upon his return in September, he was restricted to his Oyo state capital residence from where his doctors were attending to him.

Up till the time of filing the report family members and the Governor’s Aides have refused to pick their calls to confirm the Governor’s health status.

Akeredolu was Chairman, Southern Governors Forum and a critic of the Federal Government despite belonging to the same political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He was harsh on ceding more powers to states, arming states’ owned security personnel and other topical issues.