The decision of the Ondo State Government to initiate a probe into the circumstances surrounding the death of former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has stirred a wave of controversy and condemnation across the state.
This follows an announcement by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, SAN, who disclosed that his ministry had received several petitions from concerned individuals and groups-within and outside the state-calling for a coroner’s inquest into the death of the late governor.
According to Ajulo, the petitioners, whose identities were not disclosed, reportedly suspected the involvement of Akeredolu’s widow, Betty, and others in his demise.
The development has triggered sharp reactions from political stakeholders, community leaders, and legal minds, many of whom condemned the move as ill-advised and capable of throwing the state into chaos.
A former Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, described the proposal to exhume the late governor’s body for investigation as “unthinkable” and cautioned Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa against proceeding with the move.
Similarly, a former Head of Service in the state, Mr Ajose Kudehinbu, condemned the plan, insisting that the issue of a probe never arose at any point during or after the burial of Akeredolu, who reportedly died of prostate cancer in December 2023.
On his part, Akure-based legal practitioner, Sola Ajisafe, also criticised the planned inquest, warning that it could be interpreted as an “assault on the memory” of the late governor. He argued that the probe, if allowed