Rotimi Akeredolu

Birth and education

Akeredolu was born on 21 July 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.{{cite web |archive-date=20 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420072013/http://campaign.aketi.org/about-aketi/ |url-status=live |archive-date=11 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211032422/http://www.uployola.com/loyo/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=46 |url-status=live

Career

Akeredolu began his legal career as a junior counsel with the law firm, GM Ibru & Co. He was appointed Attorney General of Ondo State from 1997 to 1999. In 1998, he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He was Chairman of the Legal Aid Council (2005–2006). 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".{{cite web |archive-date=8 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608044042/https://compassnews.net/Ng/?option=com_content&view=article&id=33853%3Anba-crisis-lawyers-seek-sack-of-akeredolu-over-corruption&catid=43%3Anews&Itemid=799 |url-status=live

In a lecture in December 2009, Akeredolu 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.{{cite web |archive-date=4 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604073807/http://allafrica.com/stories/200912070161.html |url-status=live |archive-date=4 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604073731/http://allafrica.com/stories/200912150767.html |url-status=live

In 2012, the Nigerian Bar Association named its new secretariat in Abuja after Akeredolu, its president citing the need for "generational identification and recognition of those who had contributed immensely to the development of the association. The sheer courage for him to go through the rigour is a testimony to his selfless service."

On 4 February 2022, Akeredolu was named Grand Patron of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency by its chairman, retired Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa.

Governorship candidate, 2011

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.{{cite web |archive-date=19 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119003642/http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/politics/31340-ondo-2013-acn-and-its-many-aspirants |url-status=live |archive-date=23 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123014855/http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/the-polity/5609-i-am-the-candidate-to-beat-in-ondo-gov-race-akeredolu |url-status=live

On 28 July 2012, Akeredolu was selected as the Action Congress of Nigeria candidate for governor of Ondo State during the ACN congress in Akure. His selection pitched him in a head-to-head battle with the incumbent, Olusegun Mimiko and Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Akeredolu promised to create 30,000 jobs in his first 100 days in office.{{cite web |access-date= 19 August 2012 |archive-date= 8 June 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220608044024/https://thenationonlineng.net/ |url-status= live |access-date=19 August 2012 |archive-date=6 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806082736/http://thewillnigeria.com/general/15442-Akeredolus-Promise-30000-Jobs-Ruse-Says-PDP.html |url-status=live

On 3 September 2016, Akeredolu was awarded the ticket to represent the newly merged All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2016 elections for Governor. On 27 November 2016, he was declared winner of the keenly contested 2016 Ondo State gubernatorial election.

Governor of Ondo State

On 27 November 2016, Akeredolu was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission as the winner of the Ondo State governorship election. He amassed 244,842 votes in the election to defeat Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 150,380 votes and Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) with 126,889 votes. According to professor Ganiyu Ambali, INEC Returning Officer, Akeredolu defeated his two major opponents Jegede and Oke, to clinch victory. He was sworn in as the governor of Ondo State on 24 February 2017 in Akure, the Ondo State Capital.

Re-election, 2020

In 2020, the Aketi Movement gathered the support of over 100 groups with 200,000 members across the three senatorial districts of Ondo State for the re-election of Akeredolu as the state governor.

On 29 July 2020, Akeredolu picked Lucky Aiyedatiwa as his running mate for the 2020 Ondo State Governorship election after the controversy between the Governor and his deputy, Agboola Ajayi. He beat Olusola Oke, D.I. Kekemeke, Jimi Odimayo, Segun Abraham and others in the APC primary election. Akeredolu was declared winner of the 2020 Ondo Governorship election on 11 October 2020, after winning 15 out of 18 local governments. The Independent National Electoral Commission announced his victory on the same day. He won with a total number of 292,830 valid votes against his major opponents from the Peoples Democratic Party and the Zenith Labour Party, Eyitayo Jegede and Agboola Ajayi respectively.

Akeredolu was sworn in for a second term in office on 24 February 2021. He and his new deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, assumed office on the same date and he was the incumbent deputy governor of Ondo State.

Akeredolu advocated for the payment of taxes in the state to help boost the economy of the state and fulfilments of obligations.

Following party disputes senior aides resign, decamp to PDP (Peoples Democratic Party). In June 2022, Akeredolu called the Owo church attack against Catholics in Ondo "satanic".

Akeredolu was latterly starting up a sea port project in Ondo state and stated that his administration was committed to the completion of the project, which was initiated in his first term, saying the port would not only serve Nigeria but also the whole of West Africa once built.

Illness and death

Akeredolu was undergoing treatment for leukaemia from January 2023, and had a long period of medical absence. On 12 December 2023, in advance of another period of medical leave, Akeredolu signed the notice appointing deputy governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as acting governor of the state. Akeredolu died 15 days later on 27 December, at age 67 in a German hospital where he was receiving treatment, with his cause of death being given as leukaemia and prostate cancer.

National honours

In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) was conferred on Akeredolu by President Muhammadu Buhari.

References

References

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27. (5 June 2022). "'Evil and wicked': Dozens killed in Nigeria church attack". Al Jazeera.
28. (5 February 2022). "Ondo Sea Port project not political propaganda, Akeredolu declares".
29. (11 December 2023). "Chemotherapy Knocks Out Ailing Akeredolu For 10 Hours After Each Medication, Leaves Ondo Governor Barely Lucid Throughout The Day –Sources {{!}} Sahara Reporters". saharareporters.com.
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