Much Ado About Akeredolu’s Health

Fidelis David reports that the illness of the Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum, and Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, continues to generate anxiety among the citizenry.

No doubt, if any Nigerian aware of the infrastructural drive in the sunshine state of Ondo state, such must have one time or the other  praised Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for his courage to give quit notice to herdsmen in the state’s forests for their unprecedented, crude and criminal assault, murder, torture, rape and mutilation, even while collecting ransoms from the families of their hapless victims.

You will also remember that the Federal Government had on several occasions tried to place Akeredolu in the eye of the storm for daring to  live up to his constitutional mandate by protecting his people, a responsibility which the immediate past  President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration refused to do to Nigerians.

Governor Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has also been praised for his courage being the most vocal governor in Nigeria’s South against atrocities committed by non-state actors.

Last Saturday, there was anxiety in Ondo State and Nigeria as a whole after it was rumoured that Governor Akeredolu had passed on.

A day before then, it was reported that the 66-year-old governor’s health was deteriorating and he needed “serious prayers”, while another report claimed that the governor was scheduled to be flown out of Nigeria, for treatment and to prevent pictures of the governor’s emaciated looks from getting out, the family reportedly asked security agents and a few politicians around him to put off their mobile phones.

THISDAY observed that Akeredolu was seen briefly in public shortly after he returned to the state from his 15-day annual leave on May 1.

Also, the proclamation of the 10th state Assembly was done on behalf of Akeredolu by the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Benjamin Jayeola, fueling the speculation that the governor may be critically ill.

Akeredolu was reported to have been treating an ailment said to be blood cancer (leukemia), a cancer of the blood caused by a rise in the number of white blood cells in the body. It is a cancer of blood-forming tissues that hinders the body’s ability to fight infections.

Albeit, that was not the first time to hear about the governor’s rumoured death.

In January 2023, the governor was rumoured to have  been bedridden but his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, said Akeredolu was not faced with any life-threatening illness that would have encouraged any alleged conspiracy against his administration.

Also, in April 2022, there was widespread rumour that the former NBA president who left the state for Germany on a 14-day vacation had died in a German hospital.

Before his arrival in the country, the state government had on April 7, 2022, clarified that Akeredolu was not hospitalised in Germany or anywhere, and had said the rumours were mere wishes of failed politicians who now carry the burden of uncanny distrust and embedded treachery.

In order to discredit the rumour, Akeredolu after arriving Nigeria, appeared in a short video, which went viral, singing and dancing to prove that he was hale and hearty.

Is Akeredolu Dead or Alive?

The latest fears over Akeredolu’s health are raising concerns in the state as the true situation of things remain hazy.

The  state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its reaction has called for the resignation of the governor.

The party, in a statement signed by its state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kennedy Peretei, said the sunshine state should not be grounded because of the governor’s health condition.

PDP also challenged the state government and handlers of the governor to prove that Akeredolu is alive and stop taking people of the state for granted.

“Since Sahara Reporters reported that the governor is bedridden and incapacitated, Akeredolu’s handlers responded by fueling public anxiety and suspicion, instead of telling the State, where exactly he is, or getting him to address Ondo State, from wherever he is on planet earth. When Akeredolu did not return to his duty post after his celebrated annual leave in March this year, tongues started wagging. At the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Akeredolu was conspicuously absent.

“The deafening silence from government information machinery suddenly saturated social media space with old videos of Akeredolu dancing and singing praises. On the eve of the inauguration of the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly, there were reports of an ‘Owo cabal’ led by Akeredolu’s heir apparent, Babajide mobilising members-elect to make a legislator from Owo Speaker, as a fall back position to retain the leadership of the state in Owo, in the event of the worst happening, after impeaching the incumbent Deputy Governor.

“These speculations almost put the state on edge until this morning when the Ondo State House of Assembly retained the present power structure of Speakership of the Assembly in Ondo Central Senatorial District. If Akeredolu’s handlers had done the needful, the state would have been spared the unnecessary anxiety.

“As mortals, any human being can fall sick whether in public office or private life.

Rotimi Akeredolu is employed by the people of Ondo State, maintained with taxpayers’ money. So, it is criminal and a great disservice to keep mum over his health status and his whereabouts”, the party stressed.

It also  demanded that, those hiding the governor should tell the people where he is to save the state from speculation.

“In 2010, when then-President Umar Yar’Adua was incapacitated due to ill health, Akeredolu was one of the most vociferous voices, calling for his resignation and allowing the then Vice-President to take over.  If for whatever reason, Akeredolu can no longer discharge his official responsibilities, the most reasonable thing to do is to hand over to the Deputy Governor as required by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“Our party joins millions of Ondo State people to pray for Akeredolu’s quick recovery, but nobody should play politics with his ill-health. Nobody should ground the state beyond its present state. Let Akeredolu resign, if he is no longer fit to be governor”, the PDP added.

Also, the Social Democratic Paty (SDP) in the state  reacted to the issue in a statement issued by its chairman, Stephen Adewale, saying, “being a public officer, the governor’s health record should not be shrouded in secrecy”.

While some believed that Akeredolu’s latest health status is unnecessarily being over flogged and making an issue out of it, others