A bitter dispute has erupted between the family of the late Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, and the state government over the planned first memorial for the late leader. The controversy has escalated as the widow of the late governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has publicly condemned the state’s efforts to honor her husband’s memory, accusing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of using the occasion for political gain and disrespecting the late governor’s legacy.
The tension first emerged after the state government, under Governor Aiyedatiwa, announced plans to organize a memorial lecture in honor of Akeredolu on the first anniversary of his death. While memorials are typically a way to honor the departed, the planned event has sparked a fierce disagreement. Mrs. Anyanwu-Akeredolu expressed her displeasure in no uncertain terms, criticizing Aiyedatiwa for what she termed his “deceptive” and “dishonorable” actions.
On her verified social media account, Mrs. Akeredolu wrote: “Lucky, you are preoccupied with rubbishing Aketi’s legacy; you can’t succeed, anyway. Anybody close to Aketi and Arabinrin [Akeredolu’s wife] becomes your enemy. Your minions are scared to get close otherwise they lose their appointments. Now you want to pretend by organizing one yeye lecture for Aketi’s memorial as an entry point to chop money on Aketi’s head.”
Her statement suggests a deep-seated frustration with Aiyedatiwa, who was sworn in as governor immediately after Akeredolu’s death in December 2023. Mrs. Akeredolu has long felt that the new governor has tried to undermine her husband’s legacy and has distanced himself from her family, even though Aiyedatiwa was Akeredolu’s deputy for years.
The crux of the dispute lies in the overlap of two separate memorial events. The Akeredolu family, according to sources close to them, had been planning a private memorial event in Owo, Akeredolu’s hometown, for several months. Invitations were sent out to various dignitaries, including Governor Aiyedatiwa, to attend the commemoration.
However, Aiyedatiwa’s government organized its own memorial event on the same day, December 26, 2024, without consulting the Akeredolu family or informing them about the planned lecture. Mrs. Akeredolu’s camp views this as a deliberate slight, accusing the governor of attempting to hijack the occasion for his own political purposes.
In response to the growing controversy, the state government, through its Chief Press Secretary Ebenezer Adeniyan, insisted that the memorial lecture would go ahead as planned. Adeniyan dismissed Anyanwu-Akeredolu’s comments, stating that the government had already informed the family about the event and that they would be adequately represented.
“There is no need for all this fuss. The state government has been in touch with the family, and we hope they will be adequately represented at the event. As for the family’s event in Owo, the state government will also be present to pay respects,” Adeniyan stated.
The Akeredolu family, however, has called for unity and respect for the late governor’s memory. Mrs. Akeredolu, in her social media posts, urged the governor to focus on governance rather than using her husband’s death for political advantage. “We have to move forward with dignity and respect for our own,” she wrote. “Politics should not be about disrespecting the people who paved the way before us.”
