The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented Certificates of Return to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Governor-elect of Ondo State, and his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami.
The presentation, which took place at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, followed the declaration of Aiyedatiwa and Adelami of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winners of the Ondo governorship election last Saturday.
While presenting the certificates, the INEC Supervising National Commissioner for Ondo, Ogun and Osun states, Professor Kunle Ajayi, pledged the umpire’s commitment to conducting credible and conclusive elections.
“This celebration marks the culmination of a democratic process that reflects the will and aspiration of the good people of Ondo state. First, I commend and congratulate the good people of Ondo state on how they conducted themselves in the just concluded governorship election.
“The voter’s attitude was generally impressive, and no major electoral violence incident was recorded.
“INEC remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring accessible, fair, credible, inclusive, and conclusive elections. The recently concluded Ondo state governorship election is a testament to our dedication to upholding these values.
“I would like to thank every stakeholder that contributed toward the successful conduct of this election from the voters for coming out,” Ajayi noted.
In his remarks, Aiyedatiwa thanked the people of Ondo for casting their votes for him and assured them of more developmental projects as a mark of appreciation for their gesture.
“I cannot but express my overwhelming gratitude to the people of Ondo state who came out en masse on the 16th of November, 2024, to cast their votes for our party, the APC, and by extension, for myself and my deputy in that governorship election.
“The mandate you have just renewed via your massive votes across the 18 local governments of Ondo state, where we won convincingly, has burdened me to serve you better than I have done in the last ten months.
“I cannot but also thank the leader of our party, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the leadership he has provided for our nation and our party.
“He (Tinubu) was very unbiased in his approach. He did not favour one person, irrespective of political party. He provided a level playing ground for all of us during that contest.
“I would also like to thank the National Chairman of our party, who is here with me today to identify with this success story, His Excellency Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for the leadership he has provided for our party since he came on board as national chairman.
“I would also like to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for conducting a fair, transparent, credible and conclusive election that returned myself and my deputy as the winners of that election. We commend you for your efforts,” he added.
