The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the recently concluded Ondo State governorship election held on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The announcement was made by the Returning Officer, Professor Olayemi Akinwunmi, at the state collation center located at INEC's headquarters in Alagbaka, Akure.
Prof. Akinwunmi, who serves as the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Kogi State, announced Aiyedatiwa’s victory at exactly 2:29 PM. According to the official results, Aiyedatiwa secured 366,781 votes, significantly outpacing his closest competitor, Agboola Ajayi of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes. The candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP), Adeyemi Nejo, trailed far behind with 4,138 votes.
The Returning Officer declared, “That Aiyedatiwa Lucky Orimisan of the APC, having satisfied all the requirements of law and scored the majority of the lawful votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.” Akinwunmi, a renowned professor of African history, underscored the compliance of the electoral process with the necessary legal framework.
Reports indicate that Governor Aiyedatiwa achieved a sweeping victory, winning in all 18 local government areas of the state. This impressive performance marked a landslide victory for the APC candidate. Observers, however, noted that the election was characterized by incidents of vote-buying and a low voter turnout, though the process was generally peaceful across the state.
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who previously served as the deputy to the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, assumed office in December 2023 following the passing of his predecessor. With this election, Aiyedatiwa has secured a fresh four-year mandate to lead Ondo State.
The victory signifies a continuation of APC's dominance in Ondo State politics, reinforcing Aiyedatiwa’s leadership role in steering the state towards its developmental goals.
