The Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, on Saturday in a statement said that though the governor has been indisposed, “he has been attending to state matters and delegating functions to functionaries of the government when necessary.”
The Ondo State government has confirmed an exclusive report by SaharaReporters by admitting that the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has been indisposed but still alive and not dead, according to some unverified claims.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, on Saturday in a statement said that though the governor has been indisposed, “he has been attending to state matters and delegating functions to functionaries of the government when necessary.”
SaharaReporters had reported that Akeredolu became bedridden and was in his residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and that he was set to be flown out of Nigeria on Saturday following his deteriorating health condition.
Sources had told SaharaReporters that he was unable to sign official documents due to his deteriorating health condition.
It was also learnt that to prevent pictures of the governor’s emaciated looks from getting out, the family asked security agents and a few politicians around him to put off their mobile phones.
But the Commissioner for Information in the statement on Saturday said, “We have been inundated with calls and messages concerning the state of health of the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
“We had chosen to ignore this wicked fabrication until it appeared that certain persons seek to draw political mileage from the disinformation.
“Though the Governor has been indisposed, he has been attending to state matters and delegating functions to functionaries of the Government, when necessary. We enjoin the members of the public to ignore the rumour. Aketi is very much alive.”
SaharaReporters had also learnt and reported that the state governor had also been abandoned by his wife and children.
Meanwhile, the governor has refused to hand over to his deputy despite his incapacitation.
Akeredolu is a second-term governor under the All Progressives Congress and his tenure will come to an end in 2025.
“Governor Akeredolu is incapacitated and bedridden in his Ibadan home. His hands and legs are immovable. His wife and kids also abandoned him,” one of the sources had revealed.
“He is unable to sign documents but he could still speak. Meanwhile, he has refused to hand over the affairs of government to his deputy,” the source added.
SaharaReporters also exclusively reported on Thursday that the governor was set to be flown out of Nigeria on Saturday following his deteriorating health condition.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported in January that Akeredolu was treating an ailment said to be blood cancer (leukemia).
Betty, the wife of the governor recently cried out that her husband was sick after taking a “concoction” from one of his female aides, Bunmi Ademosun.
In a leaked audio file, the First Lady accused Ademosun, the special adviser to the governor on Multilateral and Inter-Governmental Affairs, of sneaking to give Akeredolu a local herbal drink.