Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of the late Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has paid an emotional tribute to her husband on what would have been his 69th birthday.
In a deeply personal message shared on Monday, July 21, the former First Lady reflected on her ongoing grief since the passing of her husband on December 26, 2023 — nearly two years ago.
“I had thought I could scribble a few simple words — ‘Aketi, Gone but not Forgotten. Evergreen in my Broken Heart,’” she wrote. “But those words refuse to carry the weight of this pain. The grief is too heavy, the silence too loud.”
Dr. Akeredolu, who turned 72 just a day earlier, described her own birthday on July 20 as a “quiet, intimate celebration” surrounded by friends and family.
She noted that while social media was awash with messages celebrating her life and legacy, her heart was already bracing for the pain of the following day.
“Today is different. Instead of playing host to family and a retinue of Aketi’s friends and associates, I’m left staring into the void that his absence has created,” she said.
She remembered her late husband as more than a political leader, calling him “my soulmate, my intellectual sparring partner, my confidant, the father of our children, the one who truly understood me — even when I didn’t speak.”
Recalling the day of his passing, she said, “Death snatched him from me on December 26, 2023. A day forever etched into my soul as the darkest of nights.”
While acknowledging the widespread belief that time heals all wounds, the widow expressed doubt. “How long is ‘time’?” she asked.
“Almost two years have passed, and it still feels like yesterday. I find myself reliving the agony, the helplessness, the disbelief that followed his final breath.”
Despite her public appearances and advocacy work, Dr. Akeredolu admitted that her grief remains close to the surface.
“There are days I manage to mask the ache with work, with advocacy, with the faces of young girls whose lives we are transforming. But on days like this, the dam breaks,” she said.
Describing their life together, she painted a picture of mutual love and respect. “His love gave me strength; his stubbornness gave me balance. He believed in me, and I in him,” she noted.
As she marked her husband’s posthumous birthday, she chose not to focus on healing or closure but instead on remembering.
“Today, I don’t want to talk about moving on. Today, I just want to feel. To grieve. To cry. To whisper ‘Happy Birthday, my love’ into the universe and hope that somehow, somewhere, he hears me.”
She ended the tribute with a tender farewell:
“Aketi, my darling, you are gone, but never forgotten. You remain evergreen in my broken heart. I carry your memory in everything I do, in every cause I champion, in every step I take. Sleep well, Darlin’mi.”
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, served as Governor of Ondo State from 2017 until his death in 2023. Known for his bold leadership, legal acumen, and political courage, his legacy continues to shape the state and inspire many, including his grieving widow.
