Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been inaugurated as the Governor of Ondo State, kicking off his first full four-year term following the death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in December 2023.
He was sworn in as governor on Monday at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, the state capital, two months after Aiyedatiwa won the governorship election under the banner of the All Progressives Congress.
Aiyedatiwa took his oath of office as the seventh Ondo State governor just after his running mate Olayide Adelami.
After which, thee governor rode in an open van around the complex, waving to cheers from supporters.
In other to become the governor today, Aiyedatiwa had to prevail over a competition from another former deputy governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi, who contested against him on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
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.
A former deputy governor, Aiyedatiwa rose to power on December 27th, 2023 after Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s death.