Ondo state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, has disclosed that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu will not resign due to his health issues, as he is not incapacitated.
In an interview on Arise TV, the commissioner emphasized that Governor Akeredolu continues to fulfill his responsibilities, despite not attending social events.
She confirmed he has been managing official duties, reviewing memos, and staying in contact with his cabinet.
The governor’s health has been a topic of public concern, particularly since he has been residing in Ibadan, Oyo State, following his return from a medical trip to Germany in September 2023.
When asked further why Akeredolu, a senior advocate of Nigeria, hasn’t considered resigning from office, the same way he, as the then President of the Nigerian Bar Association, called on the then President Umaru Yar’Adua to resign on account of his health, the commissioner insisted that the governor wasn’t incapacitated and didn’t have to resign.
She noted, “The governor is not incapacitated, I still maintain that. He would have easily done the needful. The governor still gives approvals. No issue, other than the heightened political issues.”
Speaking further on why the State Executive Council hasn’t in line with Section 189 (1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (As amended) declared the governor as incapable, she said the governor wasn’t incapacitated and the executive council had no such plan.
She added, “Unless the governor is incapacitated, there is no reason to evaluate his health.”
The section reads, “The governor or deputy governor of a state shall cease to hold office if (a) by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of all members of the executive council of the State, it is declared that the governor or deputy governor is incapable of discharging the functions of his office.”
When asked why he had remained in Ibadan if truly he wasn’t incapacitated, the commissioner explained, “The governor is still recuperating having gone through a very bad illness. I can’t come here and lie, I know Nigerians are watching, that the governor can run and play tennis. That is not true.
“The governor is still recuperating. His psychomotor, affective, and cognitive skills are still intact, but he’s not as strong as he was in the past.”
Asked about the nature of the governor’s illness, Ademola-Olateju stated, “It’s not a very good illness, I think it’s a somatic problem (related to the body, especially as distinct from the mind). He has lost some weight, and he once told us that after 40, nobody is well.”
She blamed the heightened political tension in the state on the ambition of the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa while thanking the people of the state for their support for the governor and his administration.