Lucky Aiyedatiwa has emerged as the winner of the Ondo All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election.
The announcement was made by the Chairman of the election committee and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, in the early hours of Monday.
Aiyedatiwa secured a convincing win, coasting home to victory in 16 out of 18 local government areas, amassing 48,569 votes. His closest rival, Mayowa Akinfolarin, polled 15,343 votes, while Olusola Oke came third with 14,865 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Aiyedatiwa thanked party members for their support and called for unity, saying, “This is not the time to hold grudges against anyone, but for all of us to come together to work for the success of our great party so as to remain in power.”
However, the election was not without controversy, as incidents of violence marred the process in Ifedore, leading to the cancellation of results. Some contestants, including Folakemi Omogoroye, alleged that the elections didn’t take place in many areas, with Omogoroye describing the process as a “complete rape on democracy.”
Protesters took to the streets of Akure, demanding the annulment of the exercise and the removal of Ododo as the committee’s chair. They alleged irregularities in the conduct of the ward primaries and warned of likely consequences if an unpopular candidate is imposed on them.
Despite the challenges, Aiyedatiwa’s victory sets him up for the main governorship election in November.
His focus now shifts to the general election, where he will face opposition from other political parties.
