At the 1999 election Akaruru held the Pukapuka-Nassau seat by a single vote.[4] The result was challenged by the Democratic Alliance Party and declared invalid. A by-election in September 1999 was also subsequently invalidated.[5] Akaruru contested the resulting 2000 Pukapuka-Nassau by-election and was defeated.[6]
Akaruru was interested in bowls and was President of the Cook Islands Bowling Association from 1984 to 2006.[8] He represented the Cook Islands in Bowls at the 1990 Auckland and 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.[8]
^Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). "Recipients of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal 1977: nominal roll of New Zealand recipients including Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau". Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 425. ISBN0-908578-34-2.