Aiyedatiwa sworn-in as elected Ondo governor

Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been sworn-in as the governor of Ondo State, marking the beginning of his first full four-year term after replacing late Rotimi Akeredolu in 2023.

The ceremony took place on Monday in Akure, two months after winning the governorship election under the umbrella of rulling All Progressives Congress.

Aiyedatiwa took his oath of office as the seventh Ondo State governor just after his running mate Olayide Adelami.

Speaking after his inauguration, Governor Aiyedatiwa said that his administration has restored confidence in the government among the people.

He said: We like to assure you that the overwhelming renewed mandate you have freely given to us has further placed on us a huge burden of leadership and we promise never to rest on our oars.

“I and my deputy, we make a solemn pledge this day that we shall lead and govern with the fear of God and utmost dedication to the progress of the state.

“We will prioritise the welfare of our people particularly most vulnerable among us, that is the poor, the sick and the marginalised.

“In the next four years, we will work with interested investors and our development partners in ensuring that our Port Ondo becomes a reality.

“We will also facilitate investors to explore our large deposit of bitumen for local use and export purposes thereby generating huge revenue for the 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.