Things To Know About Akeredolu, Ondo Gov who died at 67

Reactions have continued to surround the death of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, which was announced on Wednesday morning.

The governor, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, died after a protracted battle with an illness reported to be leukemia.

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Daily Trust highlights six things to know about him:

1. He was born on July 21, 1956 in Owo, Ondo State, South-West Nigeria
2. He had his primary education at Government School Owo, proceeded to Aquainas College in Akure before he moved to Loyola College in Ibadan to complete his secondary education. He also went to Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro for his SSCE.
3. He obtained his LLB in 1977 at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1974, and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 1978.
4. He was a union leader and served as the Vice President of the Students Union in 1975/76 and mobilised against injustice, inequality and corruption.
5. He served as the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Ondo State between 1997 and 1999.
6. In 1998, he was conferred with the rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
7. He was elected the President of the Nigerian Bar Association and served between 2008 and 2010.
8. As the President of the NBA, he called for the resignation of the then President Umaru Yar’Adua over his ill health.
9. In 2011, he made his first attempt to govern the Sunshine State under the umbrella of the Action Congress of Nigeria but lost to incumbent Governor Olusegun Mimiko at the time.
10. He eventually won his second attempt and became the governor in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020.
11. Known as Aketi by his supporters, he adopted the title ‘Arakunrin’ instead of Mr Governor.
12. He led the South-West Governors as the chairman of their forum to establish the Western Nigeria Security Network, known as Amotekun Corps, to protect the region against criminality. He also fought for Amotekun to be armed to be able to tackle the criminality in the region.
13. In the run-up to the 2023 elections, he led other southern governors to advocate for a southerner to succeed the then President Muhammadu Buhari.
14. In 2022, he publicly called on his party, the APC, to reveal its zoning arrangement for the 2023 presidential election to douse the rising tension in the party and the polity.
15. In October 2022, Akeredolu was conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
16. He lost his mum, Lady Evangelist Grace Akeredolu, on September 15, 2022 and buried her on November 12, 2022.
17. He is survived by his wife, Betty, and four children, including Babajide, who serves in his cabinet as the Special Adviser and Director-General, Performance and Project Implementation Unit, Office of the Governor.
18. He met his wife, Betty, during their National Youth Service Corps programme in Enugu State.
19. While alive, he loved lawn tennis, reading and singing.