The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has commiserated with the family of the late Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, describing his demise as a painful loss, News About Nigeria reports.
Abbas, who expressed his sadness over the passing of the governor in a statement on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, described Akeredolu’s death as a big blow to the All Progressives Congress (APC) family, Ondo State, and Nigeria as a whole.
According to him, the late governor, who was also called Aketi, was one of the brightest and most brilliant legal minds in the party and country.
Abbas further noted that the governor was a champion of the rule of law, democracy and true federalism, stating that Akeredolu, who was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, had risen to the Zenith of his career with doggedness and sheer determination before venturing into partisan politics.
Speaker Abbas also reminisced on how, back in the day, the late Akeredolu had been one of the leading human rights activists who fought against military rule, leading to the return of democracy in 1999.
He disclosed that Akeredolu was not just the governor of Ondo State but was also a member of the inner bar as a lawyer and Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum.
The Speaker extended his condolences to the Akeredolu family, the people, and the government of Ondo State.
The governor of Ondo State died in the early hours of Wednesday, December 27, after battling with leukaemia for a prolonged period.