Victor Ezeja
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been declared winner of the 2024 off-cycle gubernatorial election held on Saturday, 16th November.
Aiyedatiwa, who contested the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won in all the 18 local government areas in the state.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelDeclaring the results at the state collation centre in Akure on Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer for the election, Prof. Olayemi Rotimi Akinwumi, said Aiyedatiwa scored the highest vote of 366, 781 votes. The governor won by a margin of 248, 927 votes.
The incumbent governor defeated his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
Candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Nejo Adeyemi, came third with 4,138 votes, the Zenith Labour Party’s (ZLP), Mimiko Olubansile Abbas, scored 2,692 votes. The Action Democratic Party (ADP) candidate, Akinnoji Ayodeji Emmanuel, polled 1,522 votes while the Labour Party got 1,162 votes.
Akinwumi, a Professor of African history, who is the current Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Kogi State, said: “Aiyedatiwa of the APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner, and returned elected.”
To emerge as the winner, a candidate must secure the highest number of votes and at least 25 per cent of the votes in no fewer than two-thirds (12) of the state’s 18 LGAs.
Seventeen candidates participated in the election, however, the popular ones were the incumbent Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the APC and Agboola Ajayi of the PDP. Both Aiyedatiwa and Ajayi were at different times the deputy to the late former governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
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Other contestants in the election include Olatunji Popoola (APGA), Omolere Akinuli (AA), Ajibola Abraham (Accord), Adeyemi Nejo (ADC), Adekunle Ajayi (AAC), Isaac Ogunfeyimi (APM), Babatunde Fadoju (APP), Olugbenga Edema (NNPP), Babatunde Alli (PRP), Otitoloju Akinmurele (YPP), Bamidele Akingboye (SDP), Kehinde Paul (YP) and Abbas Mimiko (ZLP).
Labour Party’s candidate was replaced with Dr. Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus, following a court judgment on Thursday, 14th November.
The election was held in 3,933 polling units across 18 LGAs with 1.7 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected.
The electoral contest was mainly between Aiyedatiwa and Ajayi. Aiyedatiwa will be sworn in February 2025 after completing the current tenure of his deceased predecessor, Akeredolu.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
