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Category: Ondo Update

  • Ondo Gov Picks Former National Assembly Clerk As Deputy

    Ondo Gov Picks Former National Assembly Clerk As Deputy

    A former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Olayide Owolabi Adelami, has been nominated as the new Deputy Governor of Ondo State.

    Adelami’s nomination came shortly after Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa announced the dissolution of members of the State Executive Council in the cabinet, who worked under the late governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

    An alumnus of Imade College, Adelami obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Lagos before proceeding to get his MBA from Ogun State University.

    He was a deputy clerk at the National Assembly before retiring in April 2018.

    Chief Press Secretary to Aiyedatiwa, Ebenezer Adeniyan, confirmed the nomination of Adelami in a statement on Wednesday.

    Adelami’s nomination is believed to have laid to rest agitations for the appointment of a new deputy governor for the state following the emergence of Aiyedatiwa.

    Aiyedatiwa became the substantive governor of the state after the demise of Akeredolu, who passed on after battling protracted prostrate cancer.

  • Why Aiyedatiwa is yet to move into Ondo Govt House 

    Three weeks into his tenure as the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been working from his former Deputy Governor’s office, delaying his transition to the Governor’s Office at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure, Starnews NG report. 

    Despite being sworn in on December 27, 2023, following the passing of former governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa is gradually settling into his role. 

    In his inaugural address, he pledged to continue his predecessor’s work and ensure collaboration with all stakeholders. 

    However, the governor, after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, is reportedly focused on reorganizing the All Progressives Congress in the state before selecting a deputy governor. 

    Sources told Starnews that ongoing consultations to choose a deputy from either the central or northern senatorial districts, while Aiyedatiwa continues to operate from his former office, delaying his move to the main governor’s office at the Government House.

    The source said, “The governor has been coming to the office, but he has been using his old deputy governor office to operate and receive visitors. He has yet to occupy the state Government House too. The only place he uses in the Government House is the Presidential Lodge where he receives visitors. The governor’s residential lodge too has not been used by the governor.”

    When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, confirmed that the presidential lodge was being used by the governor to receive visitors while some other areas were under renovation, adding that the Governor’s Office was under renovation.

    “The governor has been using the Government House; he receives visitors at the presidential lodge. Others are undergoing renovation. Very soon, everything will be alright. The new building in the Government House is nearing completion and he might be using there.

    “The main governor’s office too is under renovation; after the renovation, the governor will move in,” the CPS stated

  • Late Akeredolu’s Body Arrives Nigeria

    The body of the late former Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, has arrived Nigeria.

    The plane conveying the body arrived at about 3:39 p.m on Friday, January 5, 2024.

    The late Governor’s remains were brought into the country from Germany, where he passed away.

    The body was received by his wife, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, his children, and siblings led by Prof. Wole Akeredolu, the immediate younger brother.

    Akeredolu passed away in Germany on December 26, 2023.

    His remains have been deposited at the morgue until the final burial. 

    Details of the burial arrangements will be announced by the family at a later date.

  • BREAKING! Lucky Aiyedatiwa Sworn In As Governor

    Following the unfortunate passing of Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the Acting Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has been sworn in as the substantive Governor.

    After the swearing-in ceremony, Aiyedatiwa is expected to promptly appoint key officials such as the Chief of Staff, Chief Security Officer, Chief Press Secretary, among others, and initiate a cabinet reshuffle.

    The demise of Governor Akeredolu occurred on Wednesday in a German hospital after a challenging battle with leukemia.

    The swearing-in ceremony was attended by key figures including the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji, members of the assembly, the Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, and the state chairman of the ruling party APC, Ade Adetimehin. Additionally, members of the Executive Council, political office holders, and other party members graced the occasion with their presence.

  • Akeredolu’s Death, A Big Blow To APC – Tinubu Mourns

    President Bola Tinubu has mourned the demise of Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

    Akeredolu, 67, died in the early hours of Wednesday, December 27 after a prolonged battle with leukemia.

    Reacting to the Southwest governor’s death, Tinubu in a statement on Wednesday described Akeredolu as man who moved the nation towards equity, fairness and justice in his strident advocacy against every form of injustice.

    “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.

    “We fought many battles together to restore progressive governance in the South West, Edo State and Nigeria as a whole. 

    “Governor Akeredolu was not just a friend, ally and associate, he was a brother and 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”, part of the statement read.

  • Ondo Gov, Akeredolu is Dead

    Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, the Governor of Ondo State, has passed away after a prolonged struggle with leukemia.

    According to a source within his family, Akeredolu breathed his last in Lagos, under the care of State House doctors, unable to travel abroad due to his health condition.

    The 67-year-old governor, who had been undergoing medical attention since his return from Germany in September, recently handed over power to his deputy, Aiyedatiwa, following directives from President Bola Tinubu. Aiyedatiwa had been acting as Governor during Akeredolu’s periods of medical leave.

    Akeredolu’s health struggles were evident earlier in the year when his wife, Betty, announced the suspension of her 70th birthday celebrations due to unforeseen circumstances related to her husband’s health.

    Reports surfaced indicating the Governor’s battle with leukemia, a cancer of the blood affecting the production of essential blood cells, leading to severe health complications.

    Leukemia, which disrupts the body’s ability to fight infections, manifests in various forms, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Its symptoms, as outlined by medical sources, encompass weakness, bruising, fever, infections, bone pain, and several other discomforts.

    The Governor’s courageous fight against this formidable disease and the subsequent impact on his ability to govern drew public attention and concern. Akeredolu’s passing leaves a void in the state leadership, prompting grief and tributes from citizens across Ondo and beyond.

  • NDLEA parades 24 suspects, seizes 15.6kg of hard drugs

    NDLEA in Ondo State paraded 24 suspects on Friday in Akure for their involvement in selling and using psychotropic substances like Indian hemp, cocaine and tramadol. One of them is female.

    NDLEA commander in Ondo State, Mr Kayode Raji, said the suspects were arrested during raids on black spots in the state during which 15.6kg of psychotropic substance were seized.

    He added that the raids became necessary to ensure peace in the state as drug users usually constituted a nuisance to the state.

    Raji advised parents to ensure that they monitored their wards properly and ensure that they kept off drug abuse.

    In his remarks, Deputy Zonal Commander, Zone J of the NDLEA, Mr Andrew Idele, assured that the NDLEA would rehabilitate those arrested to ensure that they lived better lives.