INEC declares Lucky Aiyedatiwa, winner of  Ondo State Governorship Election

 

Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa, has been declared the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

He was returned elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after winning the governorship poll in all 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

Ayedatiwa, who won in Ese Odo Local Government Area in the last LG result presented on Sunday at the State Collation Centre in Akure, had previously won in the 17 LGs earlier announced.

In the final declaration of the result by the State Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, he said the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) candidate, Ayedatiwa polled in total of 366,781 votes to defeat Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) who got 117,845 votes.

The State Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, who presented the final results of the elections, on Sunday, said Ayedatiwa scored the majority of the valid votes at the poll and he subsequently returned him elected.

He said, “I, Professor Olayemi Durotimi Akinwunmi, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the 2024 Ondo State governorship election held on the 16th November, 2024.

“That Ayedatiwa Lucky Orimisan of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and governor-elect.”

The Returning Officer noted that the total valid votes in the election stood at 497,077; rejected votes were 11,886, while the total votes cast were 508,963.

Before the last set of election results from the Ilaje, EseOdo, and Odigbo LGs were presented, Ayedatiwa had won in 15 council areas.

Recall that the State Returning Officer, who is also the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, formally opened the state collation exercise around 12:10 am on Sunday and received results from some LGs.

In the results of the 13 LGs earlier announced, Ayedatiwa won in all, including Idanre LG where the PDP’s governorship running mate, Mr Festus Akingbaso, hails from. The APC got 14,157 to defeat PDP which polled 5,897 votes.

A PDP agent, however, alleged that there was no voting in Ofosun Oniseri. He said PDP agents were chased away by hoodlums, urging INEC to expunge figures of the area from the final result. He also alleged a case of ballot snatching at the Alade unit.

Prof. Akinwumi, after the results of the 13th LG, said the collation would resume by 5 am when the results of the last 5 LGs would be released.

Upon resumption of the collation, poll results from the Okitipupa LG were presented, where the APC got 26,811 votes to beat the PDP, which polled 10,233.

In Akure North LGA, APC polled 14451 votes, while PDP got 5787.

When the collation centre reopened at noon on Sunday, results of Odigbo, Ilaje, and Ese Odo LGs were presented, where the APC swept through.

Before the final declaration of the results, all party agents present, including the PDP, signed the result sheet and each got a copy of the result.

See the breakdown of the LGs announced so far:

1. Ifedore LGA:

 

APC: 14,157

 

PDP: 5,897

 

SDP: 21

 

2. Ondo East LGA:

 

APC: 8,163

 

PDP: 2,843

 

SDP: 15

 

3. IleOluji/OkeIgbo LGA:

 

APC: 16,600

 

PDP: 4,442

 

SDP: 08

 

4. Idanre LGA:

 

APC: 9,114

 

PDP: 8,940

 

LP: 24

 

APGA: 25

 

5. Irele LGA

 

APC: 17,117

 

PDP: 6,601

 

LP: 15

 

APGA: 30

 

6. Akoko South West LGA

 

APC: 29,700

 

ADP: 87

 

PDP: 5,517

 

APGA: 23

 

SDP: 11

 

7. Owo LGA:

 

APC: 31,914

 

ADP: 140

 

PDP: 4,740

 

AAC: 16

 

APGA: 36

 

LP: 42

 

8. Ose LGA

 

AA: 03

 

AAC: 08

 

APGA: 19

 

ADC: 141

 

APC: 16,555

 

LP: 06

 

PDP: 4,472

 

9. Akure South LGA:

 

AA: 08

 

AAC: 58

 

APGA: 95

 

ADC: 630

 

APC: 32,969

 

PDP: 17,926

 

LP: 238

 

SDP: 138

 

ZLP: 252

 

10. Akoko North East:

 

AA: 03

 

AAC: 19

 

APGA: 36

 

APC: 25,657

LP: 14

 

PDP: 5,072

 

SDP: 03

 

11. Ondo West LGA

 

A: 31

 

AA: 09

 

AAC: 30

 

ADC: 415

 

ADP: 143

 

APC: 20,755

 

LP: 181

 

PDP: 6,387

 

SDP: 123

 

12. Akoko South East LGA

 

A: 02

 

AAC: 04

 

ADC: 81

 

ADP: 28

 

APC: 12,140

 

APGA: 19

 

PDP: 2,692

 

SDP: 03

 

13. Akoko North West LGA

 

A: 06

 

AA: 04

 

AAC: 14

 

ADC: 130

 

ADP: 51

 

APC: 25,010

 

APGA: 21

 

LP: 23

 

PDP: 5,502

 

SDP: 05

 

14. Akure North LGA

 

A: 9

 

ADC: 180

 

APC: 14,451

 

LP: 238

 

PDP: 5,787

 

PRP: 6

 

SDP: 46

 

15. Okitipupa LGA

 

A: 5

 

ADC 284

 

APC: 26,811

 

LP: 27

 

PDP: 10,233

 

PRP: 17

 

SDP: 18

 

16. Odigbo LGA

 

AA: 08

 

AAC: 29

 

APGA: 76

 

APC: 26,683

 

LP: 34

 

PDP: 9,348

 

PRP: 31

 

SDP: 12

 

ZLP: 70

 

17. Ilaje LGA

 

AA: 02

 

AAC: 10

 

ADC: 107

 

AGPA: 21

 

APC: 24,474

 

PDP: 3,632

 

LP: 176

 

ZLP: 04

 

18. Ese Odo LGA

 

AA: 01

 

AAC: 03

 

APC: 14,511

 

APGA: 17

 

PDP: 7,814

 

LP: 45