The Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, the winner of the election held in the 18 local government areas of the state on Saturday.
The Chief Returning Officer for the election, Prof Idowu Olayinka, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, declared Akeredolu the winner of the poll having scored the highest number of votes.
The APC national leadership, in its swift reaction, said the Ondo State governor’s victory was an indication of the success of its moves to reconcile the party members.
Akeredolu polled 292,830 votes to defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, who came second with 195, 791 votes. The Deputy Governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi, who contested on the platform of the Zenith Labour Party, came a distant third with 69,127 votes.
Olayinka said, “I hereby certify that I am the returning officer of the Ondo State election, and that the election was conducted and the candidates received the following votes.
“Oluwarotimi Akeredolu got 292,830, Eyitayo Jegede got 195,791 and Agboola Ajayi got 69,127. That Oluwarotimi Akeredolu secured the highest number of votes among the 17 contestants. Moreover, he was expected to score 25 per cent in two-thirds of the state, but he scored it across the 18 local government areas.
“Consequently, having satisfied the requirements of the law, I hereby declare Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, the winner and he is hereby returned elected.”
Akeredolu won in 15 out of the 18 local government areas of the state while Jegede won in three local government areas and the deputy governor did not win in any, including his local government of origin.
The national leadership of the APC, in its reaction, described Akeredolu’s victory as a testament of the genuine reconciliation efforts of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee of the party.
In a statement titled ‘APC Hails Rotimi Akeredolu’s Ondo Governorship Reelection Victory,’ signed by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, in Abuja, on Sunday, the party expressed gratitude to the electorate in Ondo State.
It also singled out the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who is the leader of the party as well as Buni for rallying party members and supporters to work collectively towards ensuring victory for the party.
The statement read in part “Governor Akeredolu’s reelection is indeed testament to the inclusiveness, genuine reconciliation and peace the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee has ensured among party ranks in Ondo State, other chapters and the party in general.”
Earlier in a similar statement titled, ‘Akeredolu, Obaseki’s victories defined APCs ideology-preference for physical infrastructural ideology development-APC National Campaign Council,” signed by the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, the council said the people voted for continuity.