‘Nigeria Is A Zoo Country,’ Says Former Ondo First Lady, Betty Akeredolu, Whose Husband Refused To Hand Over To Deputy Despite Protracted Ailment

Ondo State’s immediate past first lady, Mrs Betty Akeredolu, has described Nigeria as a zoo.

Betty on Wednesday said this while drawing parallels between the country's presidential election and that of the United States via her X account.

“Just thinking. 2023 Nigerian Presidential Election Total Votes Cast: 25 million Counting Duration: 5 days.

 “2024 U.S Presidential Election Total Votes Cast: 155 million Counting Duration: Approx. 10 hours 

“Moral: When dishonesty is prioritized, simple things become difficult.”

However, one of her followers, Paulexy, @paul_ozah commented on the post saying, “Truth is indeed bitter. I can understand the attacks on her. We are doomed in this country Nigeria.”

Replying to Paulexy’s comment, Mrs Akeredou said, “Very bitter indeed! Who will rescue Nigeria? What a zoo country!”

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Betty’s husband, Rotimi Akeredolu, died on December 27, 2023.

After his death, Doyin Odebowale, the former Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Strategy to the late Ondo State governor said he was weak when it came to matters involving his wife.

“On his wife’s management, Aketi was a weakling,” he had said.

Betty’s late husband, Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), died after months of protracted ailment, which was covered up by the family.

This followed his re-election as the state governor in October 2020 and inauguration for a second term in office in February 2021.

However, during his second term in office, Akeredolu had to be flown abroad for treatment for medical attention.

In September 2023, the politician returned to Nigeria after a three-month medical leave in Germany but instead of going to Ondo State, he stayed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

It was after his death that his family disclosed that he was suffering from prostate cancer.

Meanwhile, Betty and other family members kept his 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.

Despite being under pressure from opposition parties to resign, Akeredolu refused to resign or hand over power to his deputy (now governor – Luck Aiyedatiwa) in line with the 1999 constitution. His aides also defended his action or inaction, saying he could govern the state from anywhere.

SaharaReporters exclusively reported how a forensic report by the Association of Forensic Professionals of Nigeria (AFPON) confirmed that the ailing governor’s signature was forged on an official document.

Meanwhile, there were indications that there were more of such forgeries.

SaharaReporters got the forensic report, signed by Mr Nuhu Kutana Tanko, who stated that “there are strong indications the author of known specimen handwritings/signatures on known documents marked ‘K-K4’ did not write the questioned signatures on questioned documents marked ‘Q-Q2.’”

The investigation was initiated by the State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Razaq Obe, who wrote to the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, confirming the forgery of Akeredolu’s signature on an official document relating to his ministry.

In the commissioner’s letter on Friday titled “Forgery Of Mr. Governor's Signature On Official Document” and dated December 7, he wrote, “I write to bring to your attention a critical matter that requires immediate action. It has been confirmed that the signature of Mr. Governor on a certain document has been forged.

“The irregularities in the signature were first observed when a file from my ministry was returned through the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). This is the only file that has been returned so far out of the five files that were sent for Mr. Governor's approval about two months ago.

“Upon closer inspection, I noticed significant differences between the suspicious signature and handwriting and Mr. Governor's known signatures and handwriting in the file. Concerned about the gravity of the situation, I decided to seek a forensic review before disclosing my discovery. I sent the suspicious signature, handwriting samples, and copies of the old regular signatures to forensic experts, who have now confirmed that the suspicious signature and handwriting were indeed forged.”

“Considering the possibility that such forgery may be widespread, this heads-up is of utmost importance to the government and people of Ondo State. I have attached a copy of the forensic report and relevant pages from the file for your reference,” he added.

Meanwhile, in 2009, Akeredolu asked the then-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to resign as he could no longer perform his functions.

Akeredolu, then President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) repeatedly called on the late President to resign due to his ill health and allow his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan to take over.

Yar’Adua and Jonathan were elected as president and vice president in 2007.

He frequently fell ill and eventually died in May 2010.

On one occasion on December 8, 2009, Akeredolu said, “The prayer of the association is that the President should recover fast, return to his office, and resign.

“No matter how much you love your country, it should not be at the detriment of your health. It is not your party or your wife that will decide whether you are capable of handling state matters; it is only your doctors that can decide that. The bar is not asking the president not to come back and take his seat, but the right thing must be done.”

"We cannot see him (Yar'Adua), we don't know where he is and don't even know what he is doing," Akeredolu told Reuters in a report published on January 5, 2010.

"All we are asking is that the vice president be sworn-in as acting president."

But Akeredolu, who later faced a similar health challenge as Yar’Adua, seemed to love Ondo more than himself.

Akeredolu was conspicuously missing at public events, a situation that further raised eyebrows among Nigerians who expressed concerns about the governor’s health status.

SaharaReporters reported how Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu and her son, Babajide, kept the governor in Ibadan against his wishes.

SaharaReporters learnt that at a time when Akeredolu 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 were afraid that such a scenario would limit their grip on power as the de facto leaders of the state.

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