Betty Akeredolu, the immediate past First Lady of Ondo State, has described Nigeria as a ‘zoo.’
In a post on her X page, Mrs Akeredolu compared the just-concluded United States presidential election, which saw Donald Trump emerge, to Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election that produced President Bola Tinubu.
She said: “Just thinking. 2023 Nigerian Presidential Election; total votes cast: 25 million and counting duration is 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.”
Mrs Akeredolu’s tweet caught the attention of an X user, Paulexy, @paul_ozah who said, “Truth is indeed bitter. I can understand the attacks on her. We are doomed in this country Nigeria.”
Replying to Paul, she wrote: “Very bitter indeed! Who will rescue Nigeria? What a zoo country.”
She stated that the 2023 presidential election benefiting an individual or group does not mean it was the best Nigeria could achieve.
Mrs Akeredolu also described the election as a tribal war of words, lamenting that the situation leaves Nigeria in a deeply sorrowful state.
She further said: “I dey laugh o 😃. Honestly, this issue raised is topical aiming to agitate like minds to discuss and find solutions to our electoral misdeeds. Everybody in the political space including the electorate, is involved in electoral malfeasance. This information is for the uninformed.
“I have been in politics since 2007, way before my husband even thought about it. I contested under ANPP to represent Owerri Federal Constituency at the House of Rep in 2007. It was OBJ’s “do or die” era, so there was no election! My involvement in Ondo State politics was only to provide spousal support to my husband to succeed given that my political experience is indisputable! Believe it or not, Aketi’s legacy in Ondo State is there for even the blind to see and bigoted to feel.”
Her portrayal of Nigeria led many netizens to question her about her late husband’s conduct while in power.
Rotimi Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) succumbed to a long-term illness that his family had deliberately kept private.
During his second term as governor, Akeredolu frequently travelled abroad for medical treatment.
In September 2023, after a three-month medical leave in Germany, he returned to Nigeria but chose to stay in Ibadan, Oyo State, rather than return to Ondo State to resume his duties.
Following his death, it was revealed that he had been battling prostate cancer—a condition his family, led by his wife, kept secret to retain control over state affairs.
Late Akeredolu stirred controversy in November 2021 when he appointed his son, Babajide, as the Director General of the Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit (PPIMU) in the Governor’s Office.
Despite calls from opposition parties to resign due to his deteriorating health, Akeredolu refused to step down or transfer power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who is now the governor of Ondo State.
His aides defended this decision, insisting that he could govern the state remotely.
Akeredolu’s reluctance to relinquish power to his deputy became a defining aspect of his tenure.
In 2009, Akeredolu publicly called for President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to resign, citing his inability to continue performing his duties due to health issues.
At the time, Akeredolu was serving as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and urged the ailing president to step down, recommending that Vice President Goodluck Jonathan take over the leadership of the country.
Yar’Adua and Jonathan had been elected as president and vice president in 2007. However, Yar’Adua’s health continued to deteriorate, and he passed away in May 2010.
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