Ondo State's deputy governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to be sworn-in today following Aketi's passing

ONDO State's deputy governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is to be sworn-in as the substantive governor at 4pm today following the death of his boss Governor Rotimi Akeredolu who passed away in the early hours of this morning.

Governor Akeredolu, 67, passed away in Germany after a long battle with cancer of the blood known as leukaemia. Earlier this month, the governor handed over control of the state to his deputy for a second time this year so he could go abroad to receive medical treatment for what has been a protracted illness.

Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, the Ondo State information commissioner, said: “Akeredolu answered the eternal call while receiving medical treatment in Germany. He succumbed to complications arising from protracted prostate cancer.

Already, tributes have been flooding in for the late governor, with senate president Senator Godswill Akpabio describing Governor Akeredolu as a nationalist and the iroko of his state. He said Akeredolu was a governor who believed in true federalism and which he pursued with passion and vigour until his death.

Senator Akpabio said: “I am sad that we have to lose Chief Rotimi Akeredolu this early in life. He was a leader that placed the interest of his people above every other consideration. He was a man of integrity and strong conviction with a strict work ethos and never paid lip service to the welfare of the people of the state.

All Progressives Congress,  national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, described the death of the former national president of Nigerian Bar Association as a great loss, not only to the Ondo people but to Nigerians as a whole. While saluting his courage as an accomplished lawyer and advocate for progress, Dr Ganduje said the governor left behind a remarkable legacy of dedication towards the development and betterment of Ondo State.