Aiyedatiwa Sworn In As Ondo Gov

Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been inaugurated as the governor of Ondo State.

OSUN DEFENDER reports that this marks the beginning of his first full four-year term after replacing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who died in office in 2023.

The ceremony took place on Monday at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, the state capital, two months after he won the governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Aiyedatiwa took his oath of office just after his running mate Olayide Adelami around 12:59 pm.

The governor thereafter rode in an open van around the complex, waving to cheers from supporters.

The inauguration completes the succession process in the Sunshine State, with Aiyedatiwa expected to head the next administration which will lead the state in the next four years.

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To arrive here, Aiyedatiwa had to overcome stiff competition from another former deputy governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi, who contested against him on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Aiyedatiwa’s stay at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure, was extended when he was declared winner of the November 16, 2024 governorship election by the Returning Officer, Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State.

The APC candidate polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival Ajayi, who scored 117,845 votes, more than twice lower than Aiyedatiwa.

The final results showed that the APC won the election in a landslide, clearing all 18 local government areas.

Akeredolu died after a lengthy battle with illness and had before his demise transmitted power to Aiyedatiwa.

He, thereafter, won the APC’s ticket for the 2024 governorship election in Ondo, pitting him against 17 other candidates including Ajayi who was also a former deputy to Akeredolu during his first term in office.