By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, is dead.
According to reports, Mr Akeredolu died at about 2 am on Wednesday at a hospital where he was receiving treatment.
He died of leukaemia and prostate cancer, two ailments that had made him incapacitated for several months, according to reports.
He was 67 at the time of his death.
His death comes two weeks after he began his medical leave and handed the office over to the Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who will now assume the full role.
Mr Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), won his re-election as the state governor in October 2020 and was sworn in for a second term in office in February 2021.
However, the governor’s second term, especially since January 2023, has not been smooth as he had to be flown abroad for the treatment of cancer in June. The 67-year-old politician returned to Nigeria in September after months overseas but stayed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Mr Akeredolu was under intense pressure from opposition parties and activists to resign or hand over power to his deputy in line with the 1999 constitution.
Modupe Gbadeyanka