· Aiyedatiwa vows to justify people’s trust
By Godfrey AKON
The All Progressives Congress, APC, consolidated its grip on South West, Sunday, after a resounding victory by its candidate in the Saturday, November 16 Ondo State Governorship Election, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Aiyedatiwa was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday, after winning all 18 Local Government Areas of the state, trouncing his main challenger from the Peoples Democratic Party, Agbool Ajayi.
INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Akinwumi Durotimi, while declaring the winner, said Aiyedatiwa polled a total of 366,781 while Ajayi got 117,845 followed by the Labour Party, LP, candidate, Olorunfemi Festus with 1162 votes.
The victory retains a total of four states in the South West geopolitical zone under the grip of the ruling APC with the exception of Osun and Oyo states which are under the PDP.
“Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of lawful votes cast, is hereby returned elected,” Durotimi declared.
Recall that Aiyedatiwa succeeded the late Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on December 27, 2023.
Tinubu reacts
President Bola Tinubu in his congratulatory message to Governor Aiyedatiwa called on aggrieved candidates of other parties to seek redress in court.
“The President urges candidates dissatisfied with the outcome of the election to explore the opportunities provided by the judicial system to seek redress on areas of conflict,” presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement.
Aiyedatiwa vows to justify people’s trust
Aiyedatiwa, has accepted the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election, while expressing gratitude and humility for the renewed mandate from the people, allowing him to continue serving as their governor.
The governor said he is committed to working diligently to uphold the trust placed in him by the electorate.
Aiyedatiwa further extended his appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his exemplary leadership and for ensuring a level playing field during the election process.
To the people of the state, he said: “As your Governor, I promise to continue to run an inclusive and participatory government, where every citizen has a voice and an opportunity to contribute to our collective progress. We will continue to prioritize the welfare of our people, foster economic growth, and ensure that our state remains a beacon of hope and prosperity for generations to come.”
Aiyedatiwa called on the people to rededicate themselves to the service of the state even as he extended hands of fellowship to opposition political parties.
“Now that the elections are over, it is time to rededicate ourselves to the service of our dear State. I, therefore, want to extend a hand of fellowship to the opposition parties and invite you to collaborate with us in the onerous task of building a better Ondo State for the overall good of our people. Let us put aside our differences and work together to create a brighter future for ourselves, our children, and our communities.”
CLEEN foundation hails security personnel
Meanwhile, early assessment by a Civil Society, CSO, observer group, CLEEN Foundation, praised the deployment of more security personnel on duty.
Acting Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Peter Maduoma, in a statement, said data showed that in about 70 per cent of the polling stations, there were at least 2 security personnel present.
Maduoma, however, noted that there was a particular report of the absence of security personnel at one of the polling units.
Situation Room report from Yiaga Africa, indicated that in 31 per cent of the polling units observed, voters “had to climb steps or cross over gutters” to access the polling units, which impeded access of voters with disability in the affected locations.
“Situation Room notes the trend of persistent vote trading during elections in Nigeria. This situation has continued unabatedly, and heightened in this election. It is worrying that, despite the high presence of security personnel at the polling units, vote trading went on openly and unchecked during the voting hours.
“As the election enters the critical stage of vote sorting and collation, Situation Room urges INEC to ensure strict compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2022 and its guidelines with respect to collation of election results. Collation of results has remained a problematic issue for INEC as observed in recent off-cycle governorship elections.
“Situation Room welcomes the directive of the Police authority that security of the collation centres will be headed by senior Police officers, including Assistant Commissioners of Police. We therefore expect a smooth and transparent collation process in this election.”
