I’ll Sustain Akeredolu’s Legacies, Says Aiyedatiwa

*Remi Tinubu, VP’s wife, Ohanaeze Ndigbo mourn former Ondo govFidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has promised to sustain the legacies of his predecessor, the late Rotimi Aderedolu.
This came as the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, and the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo mourned the passing of Akeredolu, describing him as a great man.

Aiyedatiwa said this during a candlelight procession organised by the members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Ondo State, in honour of the late Akeredolu, at the Government House, Akure, at the weekend.
Aiyedatiwa, while serving as the deputy governor, was inaugurated as the governor on Wednesday following the death of Akeredolu earlier that day.
He described Akeredolu as a fearless legal luminary and a dedicated leader.

The governor said Akeredolu’s commitment to justice and service to the people earned him the title of “Senior Advocate of the Masses.”
“What you have done this night is commendable; it means all you were doing before, when he was alive, was not eye service but genuine love. This means a lot to me personally.
“We will ensure we complete all the ongoing projects he left behind,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa appealed for continuous prayers, saying, “All you can do for us right now is to continue to pray for us that God should grant all of us the fortitude to bear this loss.”

Earlier, NBA Chairman, Akure Branch, Bayo Aina, said the candlelight gathering signified their unwavering commitment to support and perpetuate Akeredolu’s impactful work, even in death.
Meanwhile, the First Lady, Mrs. Tinubu, has said with the death of Akeredolu, Nigeria has lost a great man.
The first lady, said this when in company with Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice President, they paid a condolence visit to the family of the late former governor at his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday.

She noted that Akeredolu was a great man and would be solidly missed.
Mrs. Tinubu stated that Akeredolu has done his best, describing him as a great man loved by her family, her husband, and many Nigerians.
She said: “We can only wish that the legacies he left behind can continue and endure, I wish his wife, his children, grandchildren, and the family that God will comfort them and also ease their pains.
 “They should live with the fact that the man has done well; he has done well to people; he will be solidly missed and may his soul rest in perfect peace.
“I keep asking when somebody asks people if somebody is alright or is he sick, I said who is well? We all have one ailment or the other, and it is only God that gives us each day to live by.”

Responding on behalf of the family, brother to the late governor, Professor Oluwole Ayodeji Akeredolu said the exit of Akeredolu is a painful one at this time but the family is consoled by the fact that he has gone to rest.
He thanked the First Lady and her entourage for the condolence visit which he described as a great honour.
Mrs. Tinubu’s entourage included the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, wives of members of the National Assembly, wives of governors of Lagos and Ogun states, and the wife of the APC National Chairman.

On its part, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has described the late Akeredolu as a courageous man who spoke truth to power.
The Igbo group also described him as a great in-law, inter-ethnic genius, soldier of democracy and the popular sentiment of South-west politics.
In a statement issued in Enugu yesterday, through its national publicity secretary, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze said it received with grief the sad news of the passing of “an Angel of history; a robust visionary, purveyor of morals, the jinx breaker, the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, a legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, an inter-ethnic genius, the two- time governor of Ondo State and the former Chairman of the South-west Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu.”

It said the former governor was not only an exceptional in-law of the Igbo; he was also their noble son by the reason of marriage to their adorable daughter, Her Excellency, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu.
It said: “It is noteworthy that the Ohanaeze Constitution confers Igbo citizenship on our in-laws and their offspring.

“As long as the marriage with Betty lasted, Akeredolu displayed an unflinching fidelity, marital exemplariness, and a profound commitment to the welfare of the Emeabiam community, Owerri-West, in Imo State.
“Such magnanimous relationship was extended to the Igbo community in Ondo State”, the statement added.

The statement added that the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, recalled the audacious roles that Akeredolu played in the creation of the Amotekun; the zest and steadfastness with which, as the Chairman of the South West Governors Forum, coordinated the zoning of the presidency to the southern part of Nigeria.