27th December, 2023
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who has been battling a serious ailment, is dead.
The 67 year-old two-term governor died in Germany last night at about 10 pm, where he was hospitalised.
A commissioner in Ondo state confirmed the tragic news to P.M. NEWS on Wednesday.
His cause of death was linked with leukemia and prostate cancer.
“It is true”, said Wale Akinterinwa, the commissioner for finance and a close ally of Akeredolu.
Akeredolu, a senior advocate of Nigeria was first sworn in as governor on 24 February 2017.
He began the second term in 2021, plagued by illness.
The ailing governor returned to Nigeria in September following a three-month medical leave in Germany and only recently proceeded on another leave early in December.
He handed over to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Before he became governor in 2017, Akeredolu unsuccessfully ran for the post in the 2012 election. He lost to the incumbent, Olusegun Mimiko.
Earlier, he had served as attorney general of the state between 1997 and 1999.
Akeredolu, also famously known as Aketi, was born on 21 July 1956 in Owo.
After his primary education in Owo, he had his secondary education at Aquinas College, Akure and Loyola College, Ibadan. He then went to Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro in Ogun State for Higher School Certificate programme.
Akeredolu studied law at University of Ife, now known as Obafemi Awolowo University.
After attending the Law School, he became a 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.
In 1998, he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He was also Chairman of the Legal Aid Council between 2005 and 2006.
He earned his senior advocate of Nigeria honour in 2008.