AKEREDOLU: Sickness, power-play, family squabbles, weigh down Ondo governor
The Ondo State government has reluctantly admitted that the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has been indisposed.
The government however denied that he was dead.
Ondo State commissioner for information and orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, on Saturday in a statement said though the governor has been indisposed, “he has been attending to state matters and delegating functions to functionaries of the government when necessary.”
A close associate of the governor told Nigerian Sketch that “It is not true. There is a danderous power play between the State House of Assembly Speaker and the deputy governor. You know that the state just had its 10th House of Assembly election a few minutes ago. It’s fake news. Please disregard it.”
SaharaReporters had reported that Akeredolu became bedridden and was in his residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and that he was set to be flown out of Nigeria on Saturday following his deteriorating health condition.
The online news medium reported that the governor has been unable to sign official documents due to his deteriorating health condition, and that the few politicians around him were asked to put off their mobile phones in order to prevent them from taking his pictures in his emaciated form.
But the commissioner for information in the statement on Saturday said, “We have been inundated with calls and messages concerning the state of health of the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
“We had chosen to ignore this wicked fabrication until it appeared that certain persons seek to draw political mileage from the disinformation.
“Though the Governor has been indisposed, he has been attending to state matters and delegating functions to functionaries of the Government, when necessary. We enjoin the members of the public to ignore the rumour. Aketi is very much alive.”
Abandoned by family?
SaharaReporters had also reported that the state governor had been abandoned by his wife and children because of internal squabbles.
Akeredolu’s wife, Betty, recently cried out that her husband was sick after taking a “concoction” from one of his female aides, Bunmi Ademosun.
In a leaked audio file, the First Lady accused Ademosun, the special adviser to the governor on Multilateral and Inter-Governmental Affairs, of sneaking to give Akeredolu a local herbal drink.
Blood cancer?
SaharaReporters quoted a source to have revealed that “Governor Akeredolu is incapacitated and bedridden in his Ibadan home. His hands and legs are immovable.
“He is unable to sign documents but he could still speak. Meanwhile, he has refused to hand over the affairs of government to his deputy,” the source was quoted to have added.
The medium reported in January that the governor was treating an ailment said to be blood cancer (leukemia).
New videos of Akerdolu emerge
Amid the rumour that he is dead, the Ondo State government has shared different videos of the governor.
The chief press secretary to the governor, Richard Olatunde, released some videos to fault the media report.
In one of the videos, the governor was seen dancing and singing.
The lines of the lyrics showed governor Akeredolu who was joyous and full of praises to God for keeping him alive.
It was not clear if the video was taken recently.
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