Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu was born on July 21, 1956 in Owo, to Reverend J. Ola Akeredolu of the Akeredolu family and Lady Evangelist Grace B. Akeredolu of Aderoyiju family of Igbotu, Ese Odo, in Ondo State. He started his primary education at Government School, Owo. He proceeded to Aquinas College,Akure, Loyola College, Ibadan and Comprehensive High School,  Ayetoro, for his secondary school education and Higher School Certificate. He went on to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to study Law, graduating in 1977. He was called to the Nigerian Bar 1978. In November 2011, Akeredolu was among a crowd of aspirants to be Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for Governor of Ondo State in the 2013 elections. Akeredolu was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission as the winner of the Ondo State Governorship Election on November 27, 2016. He is the current Governor of Ondo State and doubles as the chairman of Southwest Governors Forum