BREAKING: INEC declares Akeredolu re-elected as Ondo State Governor

By OUR REPORTER

Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has been re-elected as Governor of Ondo State following Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

Akeredolu had promised during his campaigns to provide composed and focused leadership marked by economic growth and improved security for Nigerians of that South West member-state of the Niger Delta region.

The incumbent governor, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), swept to victory by winning 15 of the 18 Local Government Areas.

Governor Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) got 292,830 votes, while Professor Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Agboola Ajayi of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) came second and third in the election with 195,791 and 69,127 votes, respectively.

“Having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the highest number of votes, I hereby declare Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu of the APC as the winner, and he is hereby returned elected,” Chief Returning Officer for the election, Professor Olayinka said.

Professor Olayinka, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, announced the winner on Sunday at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akure, which doubles as the final collation centre.

It is the second time the governor is defeating the PDP candidate. In 2016, Akeredolu, with Ajayi as his running mate, defeated Jegede to win his first term as governor. Ajayi fell out with Akeredolu and chose to go against his boss this time around in a mission many have described before now as suicidal.

Residents of the state came out on Saturday, across 3,009 polling units of 203 electoral wards/ registration areas in the 18 Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state, to choose their leader for the next four years.

The poll, the second major election to be conducted since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, was preceded by a dramatic campaign featuring 17 political parties and their candidates, all racing for the top political office in the south-western state.

Up to 11 contenders pulled out of the race in favour of other candidates just in the final days of the campaign with the trio of Akeredolu, Jegede and Ajayi emerging as the leading contenders.

Ajayi’s conflict with Governor Akeredolu was one of the intriguing issues that provided drama in the months preceding the election in the state.

After surviving an attempt by the State Assembly to impeach him, the deputy governor dumped the APC for the PDP. But after failing to secure the PDP’s governorship ticket, he joined the ZLP – the platform on which he contested.

Governor Akeredolu’s first tenure as governor will expire on February 23, 2021, with victory in the bag, he is on course to govern the state for another four years.

In the coming hours and days, it is expected that the opposition parties that fielded candidates in the poll will make their position on the outcome known.

Under the Nigerian Constitution, the outcome of a governorship election can be contested at the Election Petitions Tribunal and should aggrieved parties be dissatisfied, they can proceed to the Court of Appeal.

Any party who is still not satisfied with the decision of the appellate court is at liberty to approach the Supreme Court, which has the final say.

All Local Government Areas’ results have now been announced as follows:

Ese-Odo LGA

APC – 13,383

PDP – 4,680

ZLP – 4,760

Ilaje LGA

APC – 26,657

PDP – 11,128

ZLP – 4,005

Odigbo LGA

APC – 23,571

PDP – 9,485

ZLP – 6,540

Ondo West LGA

APC- 15,977

PDP- 10,627

ZLP – 10,159

Okitipupa LGA

APC- 19,266

PDP- 10,367

ZLP – 10,120

Ose LGA

APC – 15,122

PDP – 8,421

ZLP – 1,083

Akure South LGA

APC – 17,277

PDP – 47,627

ZLP – 2,236

Akoko South East

APC – 9,419

PDP – 4,003

ZLP – 2,004

Idanre LGA

APC -11,286

PDP – 7,499

ZLP – 3,623

Owo LGA

APC – 35957

PDP – 5311

ZLP – 408

Akure North LGA

APC – 9546

PDP – 12263

ZLP – 1,046

Ondo East LGA

APC – 6485

PDP – 4049

ZLP – 3,221

Akoko North West

APC- 15,809

PDP- 10,320

ZLP – 3,477

Akoko South East

APC – 21,232

PDP – 15,055

ZLP – 2,775

Akoko North East

APC – 16,572

PDP – 8,380

ZLP – 3,532

Irele LGA

APC – 12,643

PDP – 5,493

ZLP – 5,904

Ile Oluji Oke Igbo LGA

APC – 13,278

PDP – 9,231

ZLP – 1,971

Ifedore LGA

APC – 9,350

PDP – 11,852

Our survey sent across ahead if Saturday’s election had given the pattern of how the voting direction would go.

The survey source said as follows:

MY ANALYSIS OF ONDO 2020

This election, to me, looks more favourable to Akeredolu than Eyitayo Jegede of PDP. xxxxxxxxxx

This is my analysis:

There are three Senatorial Districts in Ondo State.

They are:

1. The Ondo Central (Akure and Ondo Kingdoms of about six Local Governments).

2. Ondo North (Owo and Akoko Kingdoms of about seven Local Governments).

3. Ondo South (Riverine Area of about five Local Governments)

Eyitayo PDP represents Ondo Central where the vote is larger only equalled by Ondo North.

Akeredolu APC represents Ondo North equally as large as Ondo Central.

Agboola Ajayi ZLP represents Ondo South.

Area of strength:

I was in Ondo North last Saturday and saw the fanaticism of the people about AKETI. I saw PDP in a very small meeting only at a village on the outskirts going to Kabbah. It means the whole of Owo and Akoko is for Akeredolu.

I was also in Akure same day. Although Akure sentiment is working for Eyitayo Jegede’s PDP but, as an incumbent governor, he also has his structure as equally strong as Jegede in Ondo Central. Don’t forget that Akeredolu never won in Akure in election that brought him to office in 2016. It will not matter this 2020 if same happens.

I was not in Ondo South but I do know that, the South should be concentration of Ajayi’s strength but Olusola Oke also represented that part of Ondo State in 2016 but didn’t stop AKETI’s victory.

In summary, AKETI is the only of three major candidates who has a whole Senatorial District fanatical about him and will deliver bulk for him. He will then come to the Central and share it with Jegede with scrambles going to Ajayi. The real battle ground will be the South but with Olugbo of Ugbo Land, it is not sure for Ajayi.

There is a major problem in the South. Ajayi used his position as deputy governor to make Akeredolu make a wrong decision on the Obashio of a kingdom at the water border with Lekki, Lagos. The Oba he approved has not been allowed to enter the palace. The Oba be did not approve is whom the community want. Akeredolu is seen as enemy in that paramount community but the shortschanged Oba, through our appeals, has been working for Akeredolu to make the people vote for him to go another four years. Akeredolu should address that obaship immediately after election.

I rest my case. END.