Fidelis David in Akure
After the initial dispute that fraught the first round of the exercise, incumbent governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been declared winner of the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, who was also the Chairman of the seven-member committee set up by the national leadership of the party to supervise the exercise to elect a standard bearer for the November 16 election in Ondo, announced the winner of the election around 12:43this morning, 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.
According to Ododo, Aiyedatiwa polled 48,569 votes to defeat 15 other aspirants in the contest.
The result also showed 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, while Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, polled 9,456. A 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 those who participated in the election.
“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 as brothers and sisters from the same family, but leaving in different rooms and must therefore remain in the same house 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 declaration of result came amid controversy and protests by some aspirants, who called for the cancellation of the exercise over alleged irregularities and the replacement of Usman Ododo as chairman of the committee.
Aiyedatiwa alongside 15 others contested the governorship election through a direct primary election.
The aspirants included 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), Isaac Kekemeke and former Commissioner, who represented the State on the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Gbenga Edema.
Others were 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 Ifeoluwa Oyedele.
The two female aspirants among them were Funmilayo Adekojo, and Mrs. Funke Omogoroye Judith.
Aiyedatiwa was sworn-in as governor of Ondo State, on December 27, 2023, following the death of his principal, former governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, who died in Germany after a protracted illness.
