Ondo governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is inching closer to the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in the state.
Aiyedatiwa, who became the governor of the state on December 27, 2023, following the demise of his principal, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, will be contesting the governorship ticket of the APC at a primary coming up in April.
On Tuesday, he formally declared his intention in an event graced by some elders and leaders of the Ondo State APC.
Those in attendance included former Ondo North Senatorial District Senator Ajayi Boroffice, a member of the House of Representatives Abiola Makinde, members of the state House of Assembly, and representatives of the party’s State Working Committee, among others.
Speaking at the event, Aiyedatiwa said he sought to retain the governorship seat to continue from where his late principal stopped, particularly in the welfare of the people, infrastructural development and security of the state.
His words: “He (Akeredolu) was a courageous and visionary leader who had no time for pretence, and so he expressed this wish at different fora in both public and private.
“All was with one conviction and implicit confidence in me to carry on the torch of accelerated development, which he lighted first in 2017 and later renewed under a joint ticket for both of us in the 2021 gubernatorial election.
“My dear people of Ondo State, the gubernatorial primary election is at hand. Your vote is a potent weapon that must be wisely used.
“We must reject those who seek to buy our conscience with money. We must stop those who seek to govern this state with muscles. That is not what our late legends and founding fathers, who once governed this state, handed to our generation.”
In his remarks, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, who spoke on behalf of the majority members of the Assembly, said 18 of of the 26 state lawmakers were ready to support the governor.
“We have about 18 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly here with Governor Aiyedatiwa. The Ondo House is for Aiyedatiwa, even those who are not APC, they are in the same struggle with us.
“My advice to our leaders across the 18 local governments is, go back to your local governments and do the needful. Let the reconciliation continue; come April 24 ( primary), we will deliver for Honourable Aiyedatiwa.
“On behalf of the honourable Ondo State House of Assembly members, Mr Governor, congratulations in advance.”
A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency, Abiola Makinde, said all the members of the House of Representatives from the state had endorsed Aiyedatiwa as the governor.
