In a somber response to the tragic news of Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s passing, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, expressed profound sadness, labeling the demise of the 67-year-old Akeredolu’s as a painful loss.
Akeredolu, who had been grappling with a prolonged ailment, breathed his last on Wednesday, leaving behind a legacy as a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) family. Speaker Abbas, in a statement released through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, acknowledged Akeredolu as one of the brilliant legal minds within the ruling party.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Akeredolu had ascended to the pinnacle of the legal profession before venturing into partisan politics.
Describing the late Akeredolu’s as a “champion of the rule of law, democracy, and true federalism,” Speaker Abbas Tajudeen highlighted Akeredolu’s role as a leading human rights activist during the struggle against military rule, ultimately contributing to the restoration of democracy in 1999.
While reminiscing about Akeredolu’s journey from the inner Bar as a lawyer to becoming a governor, Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, the Speaker underscored the significant impact of the late Akeredolu’scareer.
Offering heartfelt condolences, Speaker Abbas extended sympathies to the Akeredolu family, the people, and the government of Ondo State. He concluded his statement by praying for the repose of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s soul.
Born on July 21, 1956, in Owo, Ondo State, Akeredolu pursued his legal studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University (then University of Ife), graduating in 1977, and was called to the bar in 1978. The late governor’s contributions to law, democracy, and federalism will be remembered as part of his enduring legacy.
