GOVERNOR Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and his Deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami will today be inaugurated as the seventh democratically elected governor and deputy  governor of Ondo State respectively, for a fresh term of four years.

THE inauguration with expected large crowd of dignitaries  will be held at the Ondo State Sports  Complex, Akure. Some of the  dignitaries  at the last count are President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, State Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Federal Executive Council members, National and State Assembly members and the National Chairman of the ruling party,  (APC),  among others.

TRUE to his name-destiny and fate- Aiyedatiwa is a lucky man that broke the jinx of deputies succeeding their principals and being the first to win governorship election in all the 18 local government areas of the State.

THE previous elected governors were: Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, Chief Adebayo Adefarati, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu ,SAN

THE  governor defeated 17 other candidates to win in all the 18 local government areas in the gubernatorial election conducted on November 16, 2024. Having met all the constitutional requirements as announced by the returning officer and Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Lokoja, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, who declared him winner.

AIYEDATIWA  completed the tenure of late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu having been his deputy since   February 2021 .

SEQUEL to the death of Akeredolu on December 27, 2023,    Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the substantive governor while Adelami, a retired technocrat  and native of  Owo, the hometown of the former governor was made the Deputy Governor.

IN the run-up to the APC primaries, Aiyedatiwa defeated other aspirants to emerge as APC candidate. He eventually defeated candidates of other political parties including Agboola Ajayi of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Abbass Mimiko of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Otunba Bamidele Akingboye of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and  Olugbenga Edema of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to emerge as the winner of the November 16, 2024 gubernatorial election.

AIYEDATIWA though a sitting governor, won both the primary and gubernatorial elections with  vigorous campaigns  across all the nooks and crannies of the state, with so many electoral promises, as well as receiving defectors from other political parties particularly the PDP.

APART from this, Aiyedatiwa sought and won support from other leaders including those he defeated at his party primaries like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN; Hon Wale Akinterinwa, Princess Oladunni Odu, Hon. Jimi Odimayo. This was followed by some APC State, Governors who stormed the state before the election to woo their indigenes to vote for the APC candidate.

AIYEDATIWA during his campaign, reiterated the readiness of his administration to focus on Infrastructural Development, Public Utilities Renewal, Agricultural Production increment, Entrepreneurship and Youth Development, Job Creation and Security. He assured that his administration would focus on strengthening governance institutions through fiscal discipline, improved healthcare, access to quality education and responsible citizenship.

THE Hope joins others to congratulate the lucky man and his deputy as well as wish him success as he governs  in the next four years. We pray that God will give him all the enablement to fulfill all his electioneering campaign promises that endeared him to the people of the Sunshine State

THERE are empirical evidences that the people voted for him massively having scored 18-0 in the election. With this, we believe the Governor cannot afford to disappoint the  people who gave him the historic mandate.

NOW, it is time for Governor Aiyedatiwa to sit back, reflect and identify projects- like, education, rural development, healthcare, good transportation  and  security network; to improve the security architecture across the state which is much needed now, and do more to improve the welfare of civil servants. If these  are prioritised, it is enough for him to write his name in gold.

WHILE urging the people of the state to support Governor Aiyedatiwa to deliver on his campaign promises, The Hope appeals to him not to relent in efforts to complete all the projects inherited from his principal as well as initiate new ones that will benefit the masses. He should also focus on industrialisation based on the comparative advantages of each senatorial district, to tackle the mass unemployment ravaging the land. Once again, congratulations.