THE Ondo state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is dead.
He was aged 67 years.
The late governor passed on in the early hours of Wednesday, December 27.
His death came barely a year after he buried his mother, Lady Evangelist Grace Akeredolu.
Details about his passing were still sketchy when filing this report, as the state government has yet to confirm it officially.
The ICIR reports that Akeredolu battled leukaemia and had been incapacitated for several months, disrupting governance in the state.
The late governor was born on 21st July 1956 in Owo, Ondo state, to the Late J. O Ola Akeredolu and Lady Evangelist Grace Akeredolu of Igbotu Ese Odo local government area of the state.
Akeredolu, fondly called Aketi, began his primary education at Government School Owo.
Subsequently, in 1968, he enrolled at Aquinas College Akure.
He proceeded to Loyola College, Ibadan, Oyo state, in 1969 to complete his secondary education.
He further pursued his studies at Comprehensive High School Ayetoro for his higher secondary school certificate.
In 1974, the late governor enrolled at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) where he earned his LLB degree in 1977 and subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School, completing his B.L. in 1978.
He was a member and patron to many associations and organisations.
His demise occurred two weeks after the governor announced his plan to embark on a fresh medical vacation in Germany on Wednesday, December 13.
Akeredolu, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Richard Olatunde, said he would return to Europe to follow up on his medical treatment.
He also disclosed that he had written a letter to the state House of Assembly and that the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, would assume office as the acting governor.
The leave notice came barely four months after the late governor returned to the country and continued to govern the state from his private residence in Ibadan, Oyo state.
Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa were involved in a months-long feud over the former’s insistence on retaining power despite being unable to function optimally due to ill health.
On Friday, November 24, The ICIR reported that Akeredolu had been out of Ondo state for 171 days, nearly six months since he was flown out of Nigeria to receive care for an undisclosed ailment.
Although he returned to Nigeria in September, the governor remained in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, where he led his state.
Meanwhile, since he arrived in Ibadan, he had made botched moves to impeach his deputy, which generated public reactions, including the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
The ICIR reported that during the meeting with Tinubu, Aiyedatiwa accepted to remain in his position as deputy governor, describing the crisis between him and his principal as part of politics.
The latest meeting with Tinubu in December culminated in Aiyedatiwa becoming acting governor in
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M