By Janet Samuel
Ondo State Governor-Elect, Sen. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and his Deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami, have been presented with certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
INEC National Commissioner in charge of Ondo State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi. Presented the certificates to them on Wednesday at the Commission’s headquarters. in Abuja.
While presenting the certificates Ajayi commended the Ondo electorate for providing the enabling environment for a peaceful election, and security agencies, observers as well as the media for their role in ensuring that the process was free and fair
Speaking briefly after the event, Aiyedatiwa said he will work for the people of the state, while thanking them for the overall victory at the poll
Aiyedatiwa said the presentation marked the end of a political journey that started few months ago with the release of the electoral timetable by INEC and the conduct of party primaries.
“The mandate you have just renewed via your huge votes across the 18 LGAs where we won convincingly has placed a burden on me to serve you better than I did before now,” he said.
The Ondo Governor-elect also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he said provided a level playing field for all parties and INEC for conducting a free, fair, transparent, credible, and inclusive election.
The electoral body had on Sunday declared Aiyedatiwa, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election held in Ondo state on Saturday.
Aiyedatiwa defeated the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Agboola Ajayi and 15 other candidates to emerge the winner of the electoral contest.