Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has mourned the passing of the Governor of Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, describing his death as a great loss, News About Nigeria reports.
The former president, in a statement personally signed on Wednesday, sympathised with the family of the late governor as well as the government and people of the state, encouraging them to take heart and keep his light burning.
Jonathan described the late governor as a prominent lawyer and politician who helped in shaping democratic governance while promoting peace and development in Nigeria, adding that while the governor practiced as a lawyer, he remained a sound and courageous legal luminary and was renowned for his advocacy for constitutionalism, democracy and good governance.
He noted that the political legacies of the governor will not be forgotten, maintaining that Akeredolu had given himself diligently to serving his state and the nation as a sincere patriot, prioritising equity, justice, collective peace, and unity of the nation above personal, political, and ethnic interests.
The former president stated that while the death of the governor was painful, God cannot be questioned.
He noted that Akeredolu would be missed by many across the country and remembered for his forthrightness and acts of patriotism.
He consoled the immediate family of the governor and his wife, Mrs. Betty Akeredolu, praying that God grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu died in the early hours of Wednesday in Lagos after suffering a prolonged illness.
The governor was said to have been suffering from leukaemia, cancer of the blood, and had been on medical leave in Germany for a long time.
