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‘My Fearless Brother, Political Soulmate’ — Tinubu Pays Tribute To Akeredolu

Published

1 year ago

Dec 27, 2023.

Skepticism President Bola Tinubu and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu

Governor Akeredolu fought leukemia for several months.
He succumbed to the cancer in the early hours of Wednesday.
Many of his political opponents and allies, including President Tinubu, have mourned him.

Eko Hot Blog reports that President Bola Tinubu has penned an emotional tribute to mourn the passing of Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

Akeredolu died on Wednesday at 67 following a prolonged battle with leukemia.

In a tribute Tinubu personally signed, he described the deceased as his beloved brother, confidant, and political soulmate.

He extolled Akeredolu’s virtues, further describing him as a man who loved Nigeria and drove the country towards equity, fairness and justice in his strident advocacy against every form of injustice.

President Bola Tinubu and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu

The president hailed the late governor for being a “strong voice in wilderness” calling for the rethink of Nigeria’s security architecture which led to the birth of the local police in the South West known as Amotekun.

Tinubu commended Akeredolu for serving his people with “absolute loyalty, dedication, and forthrightness.”

He also recounted how his personal journey with the deceased started, saying he was “resolute and unflinching” in the fight to restore progressive governance in the South West, Edo State, and Nigeria as a whole.

President Bola Tinubu and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu

While commiserating with Akeredolu’s wife, Betty, the incoming governor, Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the people of Ondo State, the president vowed to honour the deceased’s memory and make sure his legacy of service is never forgotten.

Read President Tinubu’s full tribute below:

It is a difficult task to have to pen a tribute and sing a dirge for a departing soul. It is a more difficult job in our African culture when one is compelled to do so for a younger person. Here am I having the difficult job of singing a dirge for Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, my beloved brother, confidant, political soulmate, and the Executive Governor of Ondo State.

It is an impossible task to fully capture in words Rotimi’s towering figure and his human essence. Rotimi was a man who moved our nation towards equity, fairness and justice in his strident advocacy against every form of injustice in our country through the instrumentality of the law as a senior advocate, attorney-general of his beloved state, as President of the Nigerian Bar Association and Governor of Ondo State.

In a challenging moment of our statehood when marauding agents of darkness spread their tentacles across our country, Rotimi was a strong voice in wilderness calling us to rethink our security architecture so we can have a more secure nation. His unrelenting advocacy led to the birth of the local police in the South West.

Rotimi was a man of ideas and action. While he was with us, he taught us the power of action and service. In Ondo State, where he had the honour to serve as the Governor over the past six years, he served his people with absolute loyalty, dedication, and forthrightness.

His footprints dot the entire landscape of the state through the hundreds of kilometres of roads he built, the many schools he built, and healthcare facilities that he provided. During the dark hours when marauding agents of darkness visited the state and killed defenceless citizens where 40 worshippers of the Catholic Church of Owo were killed on June 5, 2022, Rotimi’s leadership qualities as a true statesman and compassionate leader radiated brightly to the world. He was a mourner-in-chief who guided his people through an agonising period. Today, I mourn a fighter and fearless defender of truth and the masses.

My personal journey with Rotimi started as joint members of the progressive family. We fought many battles together to restore progressive governance in the South West, Edo State, and Nigeria as a whole. During this uncertain period, Rotimi was resolute and unflinching. He showed uncommon courage as a member of our legal team in our battles to reclaim our stolen mandates in Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, and Osun States. A gallant lawyer and one of the finest of the legal profession. I beckoned on him to contest for the governorship position of Ondo State in 2012. Even though he did not make it in his first attempt, his enthusiasm and determination to serve his people never diminished. He eventually made it to the Alagbaka Government House in his second attempt in the 2016 election, Since he was sworn in in February 2017, he had served the people with devotion.

Rotimi has played his role well and left us untimely. We will never see his likes again. Let me tell the people of Ondo State that I am grieving with you. We will honour Rotimi’s memory and make sure his legacy of service is never forgotten.

In my grief and sadness, I have telephoned his wife, Betty, and Acting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to commiserate with them and urge them to take heart over this national tragedy.

Governor Akeredolu was not just a friend and associate, the departed leader was a brother and a soulmate.

His death is a blow to our governing APC and the progressive family as we are diminished by it.

I hope that his successor Aiyedatiwa will hold steadfast to the vision of governance left by this towering political leader.

H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

December 27, 2023