The governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been declared winner of the Ondo state governorship election.
The declaration was made by the Returning Officer for the election, Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State.
Akinwumi declared Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the election held on Sunday, extending the governor’s stay at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure.
According to INEC, Aiyedatiwa who is the incumbent governor of the Sunshine State polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival and a former deputy governor of the state Ajayi Agboola who flew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer.
He scored 117,845 votes, more than twice lower than the APC candidate.
“That Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the returning officer said at exactly 2:30pm at the INEC collation centre in Akure.
Aiyedatiwa, a former deputy governor, ascended into the leadership of the South-West state on December 27th, 2023 after Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s demise.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, has said the plot to take over Oyo and Osun states is on.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as winner of the just concluded Ondo election, Ganduje said he was happy that the people of Ondo showed their love for the ruling party through their votes.
According to the former governor of Kano state, the election was free, fair and credible, thanking the electoral body, security agencies, media and Civil Society Organisations for their contribution towards the success of the exercise.
“There is no doubt this is a moment of joy. Seeing is believing and this is democracy in action. But what is more important is that all the major stakeholders believe that the election was free, fair and credible, especially INEC who provided the logistics arrangement and manpower.
“The police, DSS, Civil Defence, military, the media, international organisations, international observers; almost everybody believes that this election is free, fair and credible and what is important to the people of Ondo state is that since they elected APC, they elected our candidate, there would be continuity in government. There would be no abandonment of projects. There would be sustainability of programmes/projects.
“I congratulate the candidate himself because he is a product that is sellable. We are lucky that we have succeeded in selling him to the members of the public. We have to congratulate Mr President for providing an enabling environment.
“Our next target in the South West Geopolitical zone is Osun and Oyo states. You know we are good at hitting the target. We will do what is possible to bring them into the fold so that we can have more political opportunity in the South West Geopolitical zone,” he said.
During a stakeholders’ meeting in Ondo last month, Ganduje had said the ruling party was working very hard to take over the entire South West region ahead of the 2027 general election.
He stressed that both Oyo and Osun states must also be under the capture of the progressive party to boost President Bola Tinubu’s support, especially in the south.
“In this geopolitical zone, we must deliver 100 percent in favour of APC. Therefore, Ondo State, you must be the forefrontl the two other states – Oyo and Osun – we will capture them, but I will not reveal our secret. We are strategising. Everything must be 100 per cent behind President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
