Akeredolu’s widow disowns memorial lecture for late gov

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Betty Akeredolu, the widow of the late former Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has rejected the memorial lecture organised by the state government in her husband’s honour.

The lecture, planned by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is scheduled to hold on Friday in Akure as part of events marking the first anniversary of Akeredolu’s death.

Akeredolu died on 27 December, at age 67 in a German hospital where he was receiving treatment, with his cause of death being given as leukaemia and prostate cancer.

In a flyer shared on Facebook by Ebenezer Adeniyan, Aiyedatiwa’s Chief Press Secretary, it was announced that human rights lawyer Femi Falana would deliver the lecture, with Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa serving as chairman of the Akeredolu Leadership Lecture Series.

The event will take place at the International Culture and Event Centre, The Dome, Akure.

However, in a tweet on X yesterday, Mrs Akeredolu stated that her late husband’s family had no knowledge of the planned lecture.

She also accused Aiyedatiwa of organising the event for personal financial gain.

Her post read: “Re: Purported Aketi lecture by Ondo State government. Lucky can’t be serious! Which legacy? Mtcheew. Lecture, my foot! This is not for Aketi because I and my family are not aware. Damn it!As the saying goes: You and your co-travellers cannot shave Aketi’s head in his absence. You cannot weep more than the bereaved.

“This is an insidious propaganda carried too far! Lucky, you are preoccupied with rubbishing Aketi’s legacy; you can’t succeed, anyway. Anybody close to Aketi and Arabinrin becomes your enemy. Your minions are scared to get close otherwise they lose their appointments. Now you want to pretend by organising one yeye lecture for Aketi’s memorial as an entry point to chop money on Aketi’s head. You are on your own o! If this is not #yahoo #419 lecture, tell me what it is!”

Adeniyan, however, refuted the Mrs Akeredolu’s claim, stating that “there was no conflict between the state government and the Akeredolu family regarding the memorial lecture.”

He clarified that the Akeredolu family was aware of the event and had been invited, further highlighting that Akeredolu, who passed away while serving as governor, was accorded a state burial, which the sitting governor attended.