The decision of the Ondo State Government to initiate a probe into the circumstances surrounding the death of former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has stirred a wave of controversy and condemnation across the state.
This follows an announcement by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, SAN, who disclosed that his ministry had received several petitions from concerned individuals and groups-within and outside the state-calling for a coroner’s inquest into the death of the late governor.
According to Ajulo, the petitioners, whose identities were not disclosed, reportedly suspected the involvement of Akeredolu’s widow, Betty, and others in his demise.
The development has triggered sharp reactions from political stakeholders, community leaders, and legal minds, many of whom condemned the move as ill-advised and capable of throwing the state into chaos.
A former Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, described the proposal to exhume the late governor’s body for investigation as ‘unthinkable’ and cautioned Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa against proceeding with the move.
‘This is completely unnecessary and capable of throwing the state into avoidable turmoil. For the sake of peace and in honour of the late governor, the government should tread carefully.
‘The petitions are obviously the handiwork of mischief-makers. The governor must not fall into this booby trap that could discredit his administration’, Adegoroye said.
Similarly, a former Head of Service in the state, Mr Ajose Kudehinbu, condemned the plan, insisting that the issue of a probe never arose at any point during or after the burial of Akeredolu, who reportedly died of prostate cancer in December 2023.
Kudehinbu said, ‘Executive power in the state resides only in the governor, and he alone bears the responsibility to posterity. When I read the story about plans to probe Akeredolu’s death, I was convinced it couldn’t be true or must have originated from individuals who lack regard for the peace and stability of the state. As indigenes and citizens, we have a collective duty to promote harmony and progress, not division’.
On his part, Akure-based legal practitioner, Sola Ajisafe, also criticised the planned inquest, warning that it could be interpreted as an ‘assault on the memory’ of the late governor.
He argued that the probe, if allowed, would deepen existing tensions and stir unnecessary unrest, especially in Owo, Akeredolu’s hometown.
‘The Owo community has a complex political and cultural dynamic. Introducing a divisive investigation now would only complicate matters. The Attorney-General has shown bias by referencing past actions of the late governor’s widow-such as the controversial demolition of the Owo Cenotaph-as a justification for the current probe. This is dangerous and shortsighted’, Ajisafe noted.
He appealed to the governor and state authorities to exercise restraint, warning that the long-term implications of their actions could be damaging.
‘Caution is the better part of leadership. The people of Ondo State deserve peace and unity, not suspicion and chaos’, he added.
Governor Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), passed away in December 2023 in Germany after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer.
His death, though publicly acknowledged to be health-related, has now become the subject of renewed speculation-fueled by the controversial petitions and the government’s willingness to act on them.
