Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has been declared as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in the state.
Naija Latest Gist reports that this means that the governor has emerged as the Ondo APC governorship candidate for the forthcoming November 16 election.
The Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, made this announcement on Monday morning in Akure, the state capital.
Governor Ododo stated that the primary election was competitive and also highlighted the rigorous contest that characterized the electoral process.
Ododo said Aiyedatiwa clinched the APC ticket with a resounding victory, amassing a total of 48,569 votes followed by his closest rival, Mayowa Akinfolarin, who trailed behind with 15,343 votes, while Chief Olusola Oke secured the third position with 14,865 votes.
The Kogi governor said Aiyedatiwa won in 16 of the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Oke won in Ilaje LGA, while the election was cancelled in Ifedore LGA.
Speaking before the party’s electoral officers reeled out the results from the 18 council areas, Governor Ododo said, “Let’s remember that the real election lies with all of us as members of this great party, the All Progressives Congress.
“We must always reflect on the words of our father and leader, President Bola Tinubu, who has maintained that a political contest is a quest to serve by brothers and sisters from the same family but leaving in the same room and must therefore live in the same house after the election has been won and lost.
“In our own room today, we are all in the same room as a family, and as such, we have no need to abandon the party, irrespective of today’s outcome.
We must set aside our differences and unite behind our candidate.
“In our unity, we shall continue to find strength, and our victory lies in our solidarity as party men and women.”
With the nomination secured, Aiyedatiwa and the APC now shift their focus to consolidating support and rallying behind their candidate ahead of the November governorship election.