Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has promised to lead an inclusive government after taking office following his victory in the recently ended Ondo State governorship election.
He also urged opposition candidates to support his administration’s efforts to take the state forward.
Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), announced the results of Saturday’s election, revealing that Aiyedatiwa had won the contest.
According to the Returning Officer, the All Progressives Congress candidate won the election with 366,781 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Ajayi Agboola, finished second with 117,845.
Myson Nejo, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, finished in a distant third with 4,138 votes.
In his speech, Aiyedatiwa said, “As your governor, I promise to continue to run an inclusive and participatory government where every citizen has a voice and an opportunity to contribute to our collective progress.
“We will continue to prioritise the welfare of our people, foster economic growth, and ensure that our state remains a beacon of hope and prosperity for generations to come.
“Now that the elections are over, it is time to re-dedicate ourselves to the service of our dear state. I, therefore, want to extend a hand of fellowship to the opposition parties and invite you to collaborate with us in the onerous task of building a better Ondo State for the overall good of our people.
“Let us put aside our differences and work together to create a brighter future for ourselves, our children, and our communities.”
He also stated that, of all the governorship candidates, he was the only one who visited all 18 local government areas of the state.
“The only candidate that went through the entire local governments, not just the capital city of the local government, all communities. In almost all the communities we visited, we saw the roads and the way they looked, the environment they were living in; we heard their voices, we read their messages, and we listened and responded to questions and their yearnings and aspirations.
“So, they have that belief that their hope is in me. They believe that whatever we say is what we will do. We will not tell them what we cannot do. We will do all that we have promised within the limited resources available to us,” he stated.