Activists in Ondo have asked the state House of Assembly to set up a team of medical experts to ascertain the fitness of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

The call for the medical team follows the continued absence of Mr Akeredolu from Ondo State after his return from a medical trip abroad in September. 

Mr Akeredolu returned to Nigeria from Germany after a three-month medical vacation over an undisclosed ailment. He has not been in the state, raising concerns about his whereabouts and fitness to continue in office. 

However, Peoples Gazette gathered that Mr Akeredolu had been staying at his private residence in Ibadan, Oyo’s capital city. 

In a letter to the state assembly, the activists, Odunyemi Adegboola and Isreal Taiwo explained that the interest of Ondo has permanently been “disabled” at every stratum of the nation since the absence of Mr Akeredolu.  

The duo, in the letter written by their lawyers, Jimoh Saliu and Joseph Arinju, asked the speaker of the state assembly, Olamide Oladiji, to act by the powers of his office with section 189 by setting up a team medical panel to ascertain Mr Akeredolu’s health and make it public for the people. 

The activists threatened to approach the court for an order to compel Mr Oladiji to comply with the constitution if he failed to act within seven days of their letter. 

Messrs Agboola and Taiwo recalled that neither the governor nor his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, attended the National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

“It is to our common knowledge that the interests of Ondo State have permanently been disabled at every strata. These are the instances:

“The National Executive Council meeting was held sometime two weeks ago; the Ondo State was not represented either by the governor himself or his Deputy Governor. The State Executive Council meeting (popularly known as the Exco meeting) that is expected to hold weekly has not been held since the arrival of the governor from his medical vacation.

“There was no live independent broadcast on the October 1 2023 anniversary, nor any activities organised to commemorate the day.

The State Executive of the Ondo State has made the people of the state to be groping in the darkness regarding the health status of Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN.

“It is in view of the foregoing, we urge the Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly to act by the powers bestowed on his office in tune with Section 189 Subsection (4)(a)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as Amended by setting up a medical panel of high degrees of eminence to ascertain the state of Mr Governor’s health, and make public the report of your findings, whether he can continue in the office or not,” the letter read. 

The duo added that the state assembly should also organise a live broadcast as a forum for Mr Akeredolu to address the people of Ondo to ascertain his fitness and continued stay in office. 

Some youths in the state, including the members of the opposition parties, had been demanding the whereabouts of Mr Akeredolu since his return from Germany. 

The youths had also created a hashtag #WhereIsAketi – a trend that has since gone viral. 

Reacting, the spokesman for the Ondo governor, Richard Olatunde, said the governor is fit, stressing that those asking for Akeredolu’s absence are being petty with their demands.

Mr Olatunde added that governance has not been stalked in the state, noting that government activities have continued without any hindrance.