The governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been announced as the winner of the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress APC in the state.

Usman Ododo, the governor of Kogi State and chairman of the seven-member committee set up by the national leadership of the party to supervised the exercise to elect a flagbearer for the November 16 poll in Ondo, announced the winner of the election around 12:43am on Monday, in Akure the state capital.

The announcement came hours after Ododo ordered a rerun election in all the 13 Wards of Okitipupa Local Government with total validated registered members of 9,515 because of validated reports that the exercise did not hold in the Local government due to late arrival of materials and personnel as a result of logistics challenges.

Specifically, Ododo said the candidate polled 48, 569 votes to defeat 15 other aspirants in the contest.

The result shows that Aiyedatiwa won in 16 out of the 18 council areas in the state while Oke won in only Ilaje local government but came third after polling a total of 14,915 votes in the election.

However, a former member of the House of Representatives, Mayowa Akinfolarin came second with a total of 15,343 votes, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim polled 9,456 while the former Commissioner for Finance Wale Akinterinwa polled 1,952 votes.

Ododo, while charging the aspirants to set aside their differences and unite behind the candidate, appreciated all the aspirants who participated in the election, saying “your dedication to the service of Ondo State and commitment to serving the people under the platform of our great party are truly commendable.

“We are grateful for your courage and determination to be part of this important process. Let us remember that the real work lies ahead of all of us as members of this great party.

“We must follow the words of our leader and president, Bola Tinubu who has maintained that a political contest is a quest to serve to brothers and sisters from the same family but leaving in different rooms and must therefore remain in the same house after the election after the election has been won and lost.

“So, we are all from the same family and as such, we have no need to abandon the party irrespective of the outcome of the election. We must set aside our differences and unite behind our candidate”, he said.

Meanwhile, the announcement came amidst controversy and protests by some aspirants who called for the cancellation of the exercise over alleged irregularities and the replacement of Usman Ododo as the chairman of the committee.

Aiyedatiwa alongside 15 others contested the governorship election through a direct primary election.

They include; former Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa; Olusola Oke (SAN); former member of the House of Representatives, Mayowa Akinfolarin; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim; former National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Isaacs Kekemeke and former Commissioner who represented the State on the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Gbenga Edema.

Others are Gen. Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, a current member of the House of Representatives, Jimi Odimayo, Olusoji Adewale Ehinlanwo, Morayo Lebi, Diran Iyantan, Prof. Francis Faduyile and Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele while the two female aspirants among them are Funmilayo Adekojo, and Mrs. Funke Omogoroye Judith.

On December 27, 2023, Lucky Aiyedatiwa was sworn-in as governor of Ondo state following the death of his principal and former governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) who died in Germany after a protracted illness.

published by THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LTD.

I wish him good luck. the man that does not respect the dead

Expected outcome

Good...