EXCLUSIVE: Ondo First Lady, Son Go Against Ailing Gov Akeredolu’s Wishes To Move Him To Hometown In Ondo

NEWS 

The first lady of Ondo State, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu and her son, Babajide have kept Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, against his wishes, SaharaReporters learnt on Monday.

SaharaReporters earlier on Monday reported that the ailing governor had been receiving chemotherapy for the treatment of leukaemia (blood cancer) 

Sources told SaharaReporters that the medication knocks the governor out for 10 hours each time and that he is barely lucid during the day or at night.

 SaharaReporters further learnt that at a time when the governor was lucid enough, he requested his family to take him to Owo, his hometown in Ondo State, saying he preferred to die there. However, sources said his family, led by Betty and Babajide shunned the helpless governor’s request over fear that his true state of health would come to light.

According to sources, they are afraid that such a scenario will limit their grip on power as the defacto leaders of the state.   

“When the governor was lucid enough, he requested that his family return him to his Owo home and said he’d prefer to die there but his family, led by his son and wife refused to transfer him fearing his real condition would be leaked by untrustworthy family members and aides.

“The governor was recently in Lagos where he received some treatment before being taken to Ibadan in Oyo State,” one of the family sources said. 

SaharaReporters exclusively reported in January that Akeredolu was suffering from leukaemia. Leukaemia is a blood cancer caused by a rise in the number of white blood cells in the body.

 The 67-year-old politician returned to Nigeria in September after a three-month medical leave in Germany but has been holed up in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Akeredolu has been under intense pressure from opposition parties to resign or hand over power to his deputy in line with the 1999 constitution but he has failed to resign.

Meanwhile, the family has been keeping the governor’s health status hush-hush to maintain their grip on the affairs of the state.  

In November 2021, Akeredolu appointed his son, Babajide as the Director General of the Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit, Office of the Governor of Ondo State (PPIMU), courting controversy.