Aiyedatiwa Receives APC Certificate Of Return, Woos Rivals

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has received the certificate of return as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 16, 2024 election in the sunshine state.

Aiyedatiwa who received the certificate of return at the APC national secretariat in Abuja yesterday, appealed to all the 15 aspirants that contested against him in the April 20, 2024 primaries of the ruling party to join him to win the main election.

Addressing journalists after the presentation, the governor said he had been in consultation with the other aspirants after the primaries and meeting with the APC National Working Committee (NWC).

Aiyedatiwa said he is abiding by the resolutions of the last interface with the NWC and other aspirants including the need for inclusivity, saying some appointments have not been made and would address that.

“Today the exercise has been completed with the presentation of a certificate of return to me. Today I have become the candidate of our great party. I thank President Bola Tinubu for the leadership he has provided, Vice President Kashim Shettima for supporting the leadership, the National chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje for ensuring that there will be a successful primary election. I thank the other aspirants for showing sportsmanship. My arms are wide open to them for us to go into the election as one.

“Immediately after the primaries and I was returned as the winner there were some aggrieved by some irregularities but consultation has been on. Majority of us, about 11, first agreed. The other three we have been talking about has led to the appeal committee report submitted today,” he said.

Presenting the certificate to Aiyedatiwa, the APC national chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje said Ondo would witness unprecedented development under the APC administration of the incumbent governor because of the sequence of continuity he had passed through.

“There is no doubt I am happy because you are also happy. I’m happy because today is the day that we are presenting the certificate of return to our gubernatorial candidate for Ondo State election this November.

“And coincidentally, he was a deputy governor, he was an acting governor, he is a governor today, he will be a governor tomorrow.

Ondo state will witness unprecedented development because of this sequence of continuity,” he said.