Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa, has been declared the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
He was returned elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission after winning the governorship poll in all 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
The State Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, who presented the final results of the elections, on Sunday, said Ayedatiwa scored the majority of the valid votes at the poll, and he subsequently returned him elected.
He said, “I, Professor Olayemi Durotimi Akinwunmi, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the 2024 Ondo State governorship election held on the 16th November, 2024.
“That Ayedatiwa Lucky Orimisan of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and governor-elect.”
The Returning Officer noted that the total valid votes in the election stood at 497,077; rejected votes were 11,886, while the total votes cast were 508,963.
Ayedatiwa, who won in Ese Odo Local Government Area in the last LG result presented on Sunday at the State Collation Centre in Akure, had previously won in the 17 LGs earlier announced.
In the final declaration of the result by the State Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, he said the All Progressives Congress’ candidate, Ayedatiwa polled in total of 366,781 votes to defeat Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party, who got 117,845 votes.
Before the last set of election results from the Ilaje, EseOdo, and Odigbo LGs were presented, Ayedatiwa had won in 15 council areas.
Recall that the State Returning Officer, who is also the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, formally opened the state collation exercise around 12:10 am on Sunday and received results from some LGs.
