Omanghana
Florence Ajimobi and Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu have adopted sharply different approaches to maintaining their political influence following the deaths of their husbands, both of whom played prominent roles in Nigeria’s South-West political landscape.
While Ajimobi has remained closely connected to the All Progressives Congress and its national leadership, Anyanwu-Akeredolu has taken a more independent and confrontational position, openly criticizing political leaders in Ondo State and at the federal level.
Florence Ajimobi’s political standing is rooted in the legacy of her late husband, Abiola Ajimobi, who served as governor of Oyo State and later became the APC Deputy National Chairman for the South. Before his death in 2020, Ajimobi was an influential member of President Bola Tinubu’s progressive political bloc in the region.
Following her husband’s death, Florence continued to maintain close relations with the party’s central leadership. She also positioned herself as a unifying figure within the Oyo State APC, which had experienced internal disagreements and leadership struggles.
Instead of publicly breaking with the party during periods of tension, she worked to preserve her husband’s political structure and maintain the family’s relevance within the APC. Her continued loyalty and engagement with the national leadership subsequently brought her greater institutional recognition, including consideration for prominent federal and diplomatic responsibilities.
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, however, has followed a significantly different path since the death of her husband, former Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, in December 2023.
Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, maintained a complicated relationship with some influential figures within the South-West APC. He was known for defending his political independence and taking firm positions on regional and national issues.
The political transition following his prolonged illness created serious divisions within the Ondo State government. His eventual replacement by former deputy governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa further intensified tensions among competing groups within the state chapter of the APC.
Rather than seeking accommodation with the new administration, Anyanwu-Akeredolu emerged as one of its outspoken critics. She described the Aiyedatiwa government as “rudderless” and also criticized Nigeria’s economic and social conditions under Tinubu’s presidency.
She argued that only people benefiting directly from the government would claim that the country was performing well. Her remarks placed her at odds with influential figures in both the Ondo State administration and the APC’s national leadership.
Anyanwu-Akeredolu has also maintained political interests in her home state of Imo, further distancing her from the APC structure in the South West. Her political activities suggest an effort to establish an identity independent of the network that supported her late husband’s rise in Ondo politics.
The contrasting experiences of the two former first ladies demonstrate different ways political families attempt to preserve their influence after losing their principal officeholders.
Florence Ajimobi’s approach has centered on loyalty, party engagement and cooperation with established leadership. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has instead relied on outspoken criticism and political independence, even at the risk of becoming more detached from the party’s center’s of influence.
Their different trajectories also reflect the importance of alliances, party loyalty and access to political institutions in determining whether influential families retain their relevance after the death of a powerful political figure.
Source: Omanghana
