As history makes itself in the life of Rotimi Akeredolu, who has passed on as a sitting governor, his rich profile is playing up itself.
The former Governor of Ondo State (21 July 1956 – 27 December 2023) was a veteran lawyer-turned politician who became the Governor on 24 February 2017.
According to his online profile, his adopted prefix was “Arakunrin”, while his nickname was “Aketi”. He was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who became president of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2008. Akeredolu was also 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. On 21 July 2020, he was declared as the Ondo governorship candidate after the primary elections under the platform of the APC. During his time as the governor of Ondo State he doubled as the chairman of Southwest Governors.
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. Akeredolu started his primary education at government school in Owo. He proceeded to Aquinas College, Akure, Loyola College, Ibadan and a comprehensive high school, Ayetoro, for his secondary school education and Higher School Certificate, respectively.[10] His middle name Odunayo means “Year of happiness” in Yoruba. He went on to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to study law and he graduated in 1977. He was referred to as the Nigerian Bar 1978.
Career
Akeredolu 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”. Subsequently, the allegations against him were reviewed and dropped by the National Executive council of the Nigerian Bar Association.
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. Later that month he stated that Umaru Yar’Adua, the President of Nigeria should have handed over to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan in an acting capacity during his illness, a statement that was backed up by the Nigerian Bar Association who said he was authorized to speak on their behalf.
In 2012, the Nigerian Bar Association named its new secretariat in Abuja after him, with its president citing the reason being the need for “generational identification and recognition of those who had contributed immensely to the development of the association. The sheer courage for him (Akeredolu) to go through the rigour is a testimony to his selfless service.”
On 4 February 2022, he was awarded as the Grand Patron of the NDLEA by the Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd).
Governorship candidate
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. During an interview that month, Akeredolu said that he had become well known and respected as president of the Bar, and described himself as a progressive. If elected, his priorities would include agricultural development, fish farming for export, improvements to education, jobs for youths and improved roads. He would provide free education and primary health care. He was in favour of increased subsidies and greater local control over public spending.
On 28 July 2012, On Akeredolu was selected as the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) 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. His promise was refuted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a ruse. His promise nonetheless resulted in the submission of over 10,000 CVs to his campaign office.[citation needed]
On Saturday 3 September 2016, in a controversial primary election that rocked the ruling party during which Asiwaju Bola Tinubu a major party voice and National Leader of the ruling APC demanded the resignation of the party’s chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, Akeredolu was awarded the ticket to represent the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2016 elections for governor. On Sunday, 27 November 2016, he was declared winner of the keenly contested 2016 Ondo State gubernatorial election.
In 2020, 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 Aketi as the state governor.
On 29 July 2020, Rotimi 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 was declared winner of the October 2020 governorship election in Ondo State on 11 October 2020 after winning 15 out of 18 local governments
