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Ondo Governor Akeredolu Incapacitated, Refuses Deputy Handover
After it was revealed in January that Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the Governor of Ondo State, was undergoing treatment for a medical condition believed to be blood cancer, specifically leukemia.
Recently, reliable sources within the government have informed SaharaReporters that Governor Akeredolu is currently confined to a bed in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State.
Due to his condition, he is unable to carry out the task of signing official documents.
It was discovered that the governor of the state has been left alone by his wife and children, who have reportedly distanced themselves from him during this time.
Meanwhile, despite his current state of incapacitation, the governor has chosen not to delegate his responsibilities to his deputy and hand over the reins of power.
Akeredolu is a second-term governor under the All Progressives Congress and his tenure will come to an end in 2025.
One of the sources revealed “Governor Akeredolu is incapacitated and bedridden in his Ibadan home. His hands and legs are immovable. His wife and kids also abandoned him,”
“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 added.
In a previous exclusive report from January, SaharaReporters disclosed that Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo State, was undergoing treatment for an illness suspected to be blood cancer, specifically leukemia.
During that time, a source within the Alagbaka Government House had revealed that the governor was diagnosed with leukemia and was experiencing a significant decline in his health.
Betty, the wife of the governor, recently expressed her concerns publicly about her husband’s health, stating that he fell ill after consuming a homemade remedy provided by one of his female aides, Bunmi Ademosun.
In a leaked audio recording, the First Lady accused Bunmi Ademosun, who serves as the special adviser to the governor on Multilateral and Inter-Governmental Affairs, of secretly administering a traditional herbal drink to Governor Akeredolu without proper authorization or medical supervision.
“This is Arabinrin, I have a message for Ademosun and I believe that she’s on this Aketi’s women platform. I want this woman to stay away from my husband, stop sneaking in concoction.
“According to her, they are from her fake pastors to give my husband to drink. We rely on medical care. We rely on Western style of medical care and Aketi will get well.
“What has triggered this very message is her recent meetings to become the deputy governor of Ondo state. Look at you, what have you got upstairs to become the deputy governor of Ondo state?
“Peradventure anything happens to Aketi, Lucky takes over, it’s a constitutional thing. But for you to be scheming, for you to be scheming. I warned Aketi from the beginning that this woman is evil, this woman is no good and it’s happening. She has nothing good for you and I warned you. This woman is bloody evil. But I’m warning her for the very last time to stay away from my husband.
“And look, if you are dealing with an Igbo woman in this kind of situation, I’ll deal with you mercilessly that you won’t forget in your life. For the very last time Ademosun, stay away from Aketi, you won’t find it funny with me. You are a very terrible woman, go away and enjoy your look,” the governor’s wife is heard saying in an audio file.
Contrary to recent reports, the governor, through his Chief Press Secretary Richard Olatunde, issued a statement asserting that his health condition was not extraordinary or out of the ordinary.
Governor Akeredolu emphasized that he was actively fulfilling his official duties and carrying out his responsibilities as required.
In April 2022, SaharaReporters published an exclusive report stating that the governor of Ondo State was admitted to a hospital in Germany after falling ill.
In 2019, he was also out of the state for five weeks while seeking medical attention in Germany and Abuja, Nigeria.
“Yes, I needed to seek medical attention. It was nothing so serious as overblown because it is routine. But on my return, I needed to take some time off based on advice. It wasn’t as serious as people blew it,” he said after arriving in Nigeria from Germany.
“But basically, my stay back in Abuja was indeed not a serious period to even rest because I had to attend to a lot of issues that will move the state forward.
“I received in audience a world-class medical foundation, Medicus International, from Germany as I presided over the signing of the MoU for them to build a world-class medical city in Akure.
“You are aware that I attended the governors’ forum meeting as well as the National Economic Council meeting and several others. Of particular note was the meeting I held with the World Bank that will bring in a capital of about $19 million for the development of the state. As you can see, I’m back fresher and stronger to continue the work the good people of the state mandated me to do.”
The governor’s acknowledgment of his illness contradicts the previous stance taken by Donald Ojogo, who served as the information commissioner at that time. Ojogo had previously stated that Governor Akeredolu did not seek medical treatment, dismissing reports of his illness as malicious and deceptive.
However, in April 2022, the governor’s health condition became apparent, leading to the contradiction of Ojogo’s earlier remarks.
Embattled Nigerian pastor and founder of SPAC Nation, Tobi Adegboyega, has defended his opulent lifestyle, claiming it serves to inspire young people rather than flaunt wealth.
This statement comes amid a UK Immigration Upper Tribunal ruling ordering his deportation over visa violations.
Adegboyega, 44, faced accusations of overstaying his visitor visa, which expired after he arrived in the UK in 2005.
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He had applied to remain in the country on human rights grounds. The tribunal, however, ruled against him, citing his failure to regularize his status.
The pastor’s luxurious lifestyle, including designer clothing and expensive cars, was a focal point of the case.
Addressing the tribunal, Adegboyega stated that his lifestyle is fully funded by his wife, Mary Olubukola Alade, who earns £100,000 annually at AON.
He said, “I live with my partner, Mary Olubukola Alade, who earns £100,000 per year working for AON. I spend my time working for the church, for which I am unpaid. I am entirely supported by Mary. I have a first-class law degree from Nigeria, but I have ‘sacrificed’ my legal career to help those who cannot help themselves.”
Defending his appearance, Adegboyega emphasized the importance of projecting success to his young congregation.
The court noted, “For instance, people have pointed to the fact that he wears designer clothing and drives expensive cars. He was adamant that all of his personal possessions had been paid for by Mary.
“He believes it is important for him to dress the way that he does because he needs to inspire these young people – they need to understand that there are legitimate ways of making money, for instance through entrepreneurship.”
Despite the ruling, Adegboyega dismissed the deportation concerns as insignificant.
“I’m right here at home, no cause for alarm. Naturally, I will dismiss things that have to do with retrogression; every Nigerian should be proud of me. Living in the UK, a city that is well known for pulling people down, I have survived all sorts, so the matter that they are propagating is the smallest matter,” he said.
He further expressed confidence in his resilience. “No panic, I love London city, it is my city, and nobody can do anything. Of all the people of colour you know here – pastors and leaders – I have survived everything. I’m here, I am at home, nobody should panic for me.
“I succeeded well in this country despite all challenges, and I’m in the league of people you look up to. I have survived that well; nothing has changed, nothing will change,” he added.
Amid the growing controversy surrounding the detention of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Aare Afe Babalola has publicly addressed the defamation allegations leveled against Farotimi.
The legal action stems from claims made in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, which Babalola asserts contains false and defamatory statements about him and his law firm, Afe Babalola & Co.
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In a petition dated November 19 and submitted to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, Babalola accused Farotimi of making “criminally defamatory” statements about him, his law firm, and two senior lawyers at his firm, Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro.
The defamatory remarks are tied to the Supreme Court case Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors v. H.R.H. Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors.
Babalola revealed that the allegations came to light when one of his lawyers purchased Farotimi’s book while traveling through Murtala Muhammed Airport.
After reading the book, the lawyer immediately brought its contents to Babalola’s attention.
Other members of his firm reportedly did the same, prompting the senior lawyer to take legal action.
In his petition, Babalola pointed to specific passages in Farotimi’s book that accused him of corruption and unethical conduct. The petition reads:
“I write to report the criminal defamation of myself, my law firm Afe Babalola & Co., and my lawyers, Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro, by one Dele Farotimi in his book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, published by Dele Farotimi Publishers, in respect of Suit No. SC/146/2005: Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors v. H.R.H. Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors.
“Sometime on 2/11/2024, one of our lawyers, while traveling through Murtala Muhammed Airport, bought a book by Dele Farotimi titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’. He read the book and immediately brought it to my attention. Many of my lawyers also bought the book and read it.”
“The defamatory statements are as follows:
- That Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgment in the service of his client.
- That Aare Afe Babalola, Olu Daramola, Olu Faro, and the law offices of Afe Babalola & Co. (Emmanuel Chambers) compromised the Supreme Court and the remaining semblance of integrity it might have had, when they went back to the Supreme Court and got the Court to swim in the sewer of corruption and shameful self-abnegation.”
Babalola strongly denies the allegations, claiming that they are false and damaging to both his personal reputation and the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.
Nigerian author and activist Dele Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, has surged to bestseller status on Amazon amid a legal battle with prominent lawyer and businessman, Afe Babalola.
The controversy surrounding the book has captivated public attention, driving both online and offline demand.
The book, which critiques systemic corruption in Nigeria’s judiciary and highlights alleged misconduct by key legal figures, saw modest sales following its release in July 2024.
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However, Farotimi’s arrest on Tuesday, following a petition filed by the 93-year-old Babalola, triggered a wave of public curiosity.
By Thursday evening, it had climbed to the top of Amazon’s bestseller rankings, according to checks by Vanguard. Bookstores across Nigeria also reported a significant uptick in demand.
Biztellers reports that Farotimi was detained in Lagos by armed police officers and transported to Ado Ekiti, about 300 kilometers northeast of the city, where Babalola is based.
The senior lawyer alleged that the book accused him of compromising Nigeria’s judiciary—a claim that has sparked heated debates about freedom of speech and accountability in the legal profession.
On Wednesday, Farotimi was arraigned in an Ekiti court, where the judge ordered his remand pending a bail hearing scheduled for December 10.
Farotimi’s legal team has vowed to contest the charges, framing the case as an attack on intellectual freedom.
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