The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, has described the death of the Ondo State governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, as a huge loss to Nigeria and Yorubaland in particular.
A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Kehinde Aderemi, said Iba Gani Adams, received the news of Governor Akeredolu’s demise with utter shock and disbelief. And that with the Arakunrin’s death, a dark cloud had enveloped Ondo State and, indeed,the South West in general.
The Yoruba generalissimo stated further that the late governor fought a good battle with a sickness that had taken a huge toll on his health for a long time now.
“I received the news of governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s death with shock,” Aare Gani Adams said. “It came at a time when we had all hoped for a safe return from Germany, where he had since been receiving treatment for a cancer that kept him away from the public for a long time.
“The late Arakunrin Akeredolu was my governor. He was the governor of Ondo State and the loss was also very personal to me, first-as a native of the state, and second, as the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland.
“The late governor Akeredolu was a voice that remained louder even as he battled his protracted sickness.”
“He gave the necessary support to the Ondo State Amotekun corps, the South Western Security Network, and was well known for taking bold steps on any initiative that could advance the cause of the South West region.
“As a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the late Akeredolu was courageous. He was at the centre of every activity that could transform the institution.
“And in Ondo state, the late governor Akeredolu tried his best before he went the way of all mortals.It is sad that we lost such a brilliant and amiable governor at this time. He was aged 67.
“I join his immediate family and the good people of Ondo state as we mourn the death of our illustrious son. I pray God to grant his soul eternal rest.”