The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally presented a certificate of return to Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the governor-elect of Ondo State, and his running mate, Olayide Adelami.
The certificate was handed over on Wednesday by Kunle Ajayi, the INEC supervising national commissioner for Ondo, alongside Toyin Babalola, Ondo’s resident electoral commissioner (REC), at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Present at the ceremony were Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and several members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
In his address, Aiyedatiwa, who was joined by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, expressed his gratitude to the people of Ondo State for their support and for renewing his mandate.
“The overwhelming votes we received from all 18 LGAs have placed a great responsibility on me to serve you even better than before,” he remarked.
He also extended his thanks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring a fair environment for all political parties.
While acknowledging other key stakeholders in the electoral process, Aiyedatiwa commended INEC for conducting a “free, fair, transparent, credible, and inclusive election.”
Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor and APC candidate, triumphed in all 18 LGAs with 366,781 votes, defeating his closest competitor, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 117,845 votes.
Nejo Adeyemi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, finished a distant third with 4,138 votes.
Despite the significant victory, Agboola has opted to challenge the results at the election petition tribunal.
Ajayi, in a statement released by his Special Adviser Ayo Fadaka, explained that he had remained silent since the announcement of the results to allow time to investigate alleged irregularities by both the APC and INEC.
“We have uncovered several actions that compromised the will of the people, and we regret to say that democracy cannot thrive in an environment where criminality taints the electoral process,” he stated.
Ajayi further criticized INEC, claiming that the election results were manipulated to undermine public trust and perpetuate voter apathy. He emphasized the importance of judicial integrity in delivering justice and ensuring fairness in the process.
“We reject the November 16th election results and will pursue legal avenues to seek redress. We hope for justice from both man and God,” he concluded.
