The All Progressives Congress, APC, has awarded Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa the certificate of return for the upcoming Ondo State governorship election scheduled for November 16, 2024.
Governor Ayedatiwa emerged flag bearer of APC after scoring 48,569 votes to beat his closest rival Mayowa Akinfolarin, who pulled 15,343 votes at the primaries, while Olusola Oke came third with 14,865 votes, solidifying the governor’s position as the party’s nominee.
The National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje expressed optimism that the APC would record a landslide victory at the Nov.16 election.
“Today I’m very happy because we are presenting a Certificate of Return to our governorship candidate in the Ondo State election. And coincidentally, he was a deputy governor, he was an acting governor, he’s a governor today, and he will be a governor tomorrow.
“If you talk about governance, there is no better sequence than what I have outlined. Ondo state will witness unprecedented development because of this sequence of continuity.
“So, in the name of Allah I have the privilege to present this Certificate of Return to His Excellency, Mr. Very Lucky Aiyedatiwa”, he said.
“You did decided over a very transparent free and fair primary. I appreciate other aspirants for being very good sports men and women,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, Gov Ayiedatiwa, extended a hand of fellowship to his fellow aspirants, saying, “We’re all winners”.
Ayedatiwa expressed gratitude towards the individuals who participated in the April 20 primaries, acknowledging their sportsmanship and positive attitude.
Furthermore, Ayedatiwa extended thanks to President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shetima, the party’s leadership, the National Working Committee members, and the state’s stakeholders for their unwavering dedication to maintaining party unity.
He acknowledged and appreciated their contributions and decision-making process in handling the party’s affairs, even leading up to the Ondo State governorship primary.
“I want to at this time salute all the other aspirants even though they are not here, I’m standing in for everyone of them as their flagbearer because we are all winners.
“It was a successful exercise because we were able to produce a flagbearer and the 16 of us that went into the contest are all winners. I want to also appreciate them for the understanding they have shown for being good sportsmen and women.
“Today the entire process has just been completed with this presentation of Certificate of Return, and I hereby accept this nomination after being elected and returned as the candidate of our party in the governorship election in Ondo State coming up on the 16th of November, 2024”, he said.
Speaking to journalists after the receiving his Certificate of return, he said,
I won’t forget the level of support that I got from the people of Ondo state. Not just only members of our party, yes members of the party all came out all across the 203 wards in Ondo state to vote for me.
“Let me say this that immediately after the primaries and the return of the winner, there are some of the aspirants that were aggrieved because of their opinion that they were irregularities in some of the wards and these led to setting up of the appeal committee.
“Petitions were submitted quite alright i think about two or three of them, but we have been talking, consultation have been on, the national working committee under the leadership of the party invited all of us to plead for peace and cooperation which majority of them accepted.”
“During that very meeting I can tell you among the 15 of us present at about 11 at that moment all of us agree that it is over with, that a winner or a flag has emerged,”he said.
“And the other three we have been talking, and we have been relating, and that was what has led to the final report of the Appeal Committee that was submitted and adopted by the National Working Committee.
“That is to tell you that issues have been resolved, even though consultation continues.”
