*Buhari congratulates Governor
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has won the Ondo governorship election held on Saturday.
Akeredolu, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won in 15 of the state’s 18 local government areas, based on the results announced by the electoral commission, INEC, at its headquarters in Abuja.
On the other hand, Eyitayo Jegede, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in the remaining three local governments areas.
A total of 17 candidates took part in the election.
The INEC returning officer and vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Idowu Olayinka, made the announcement at about 3pm after all the results across the state’s 18 local government areas had been collated.
According to Prof Olayinka, a total of 572,745 valid votes were recorded while 18,448 were rejected, and about 16,000 votes cancelled.
While the APC candidate polled 292,830, Mr. Jegede scored 195,791 votes, a difference of 97,039 votes
The incumbent deputy governor in the state and candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Agboola Ajayi, came a distant third by scoring 69,127 votes.
In 2016, Akeredolu had defeated Jegede in the governorship election.
In the meantime, president Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Akeredolu on his re-election as Ondo State governor.
The President lauds the resounding victory of the governor, noting that the votes garnered “show that one good turn surely deserves another.”
He thanked the people of Ondo State for keeping faith with their Governor, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that “the people know the person and party that truly serves them, and have spoken in clear voice and unmistakable terms.”
President Buhari appreciated the electorate in Ondo State for comporting themselves decently and in order, and for exhibiting conduct that indicates that the country is making progress in its electoral process.
He also gave kudos to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for organizing credible, free and fair election, and to security agencies which ensured that orderliness was enthroned and maintained.
Buhari urged Akeredolu to be humble and magnanimous in victory, and serve the people of Ondo State even better than how he did in the first term, noting: “when you serve with heart and might, the people respond in like manner, and we can easily get to where we are headed as a country.”
