‘A National Loss’ – PDP Mourns Akeredolu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday expressed sadness over the death of the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, whom the party described as a believer of true federalism.

Akeredolu, who was serving out his second tenure as governor passed on on Wednesday morning after a protracted illness.

He was an advocate of true federalism, who regularly spoke against what he perceived as injustice by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government against the South.

As head of the Southern Governors’ Forum, he led the group to sign the anti-open grazing law, which he signed into law in February 2021 despite being a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which controlled the central government.

When Buhari flayed the governors for opposing reintroduction of the open grazing routes, Akeredolu rose in opposition saying, “Where we are now, the Dome, something was here before, so now are we going to bring it back and reinstate what was here before?

“Or where the Deji of Akure’s Palace is now, you say that it is a grazing route and we have to remove the palace for a grazing route? We can’t do that now.

“Things are changing and there has to be a paradigm shift.

“Ethiopia has about 200 million cattle and you won’t see them on the streets. They are located in the hinterlands designated for grazing,” Akeredolu said.

The PDP described him as “a courageous” leader with an amiable personality, a “brilliant lawyer” and an “outstanding administrator with deep understanding and capacity for leadership especially in his roles towards the unity, stability and development of the nation.”

The opposition party said his “death is a huge national loss.

“He was an unrepentant fighter for fairness, equity and justice in the affairs of the nation.”

In a statement signed by the spokesman of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party noted that Akeredolu “believed in true federalism, respect, defence and protection of ethnic nationalities, which he advocated as prerequisite for peace and development in our nation.”

The PDP “commiserates with Akeredolu’s widow, Betty Akeredolu, his children and the people of Ondo State.

“We pray to God to grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss, and to the faithful departed, eternal rest in His bosom.”

He was 67.