Ondo: Akeredolu receives Certificate of Return from INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday presented the Governor-elect of Ondo state, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN his certificate of return.


Akeredolu was accompanied to the event which was held at the INEC headquarters in Akure, the state capital, by his wife, Betty.

Other dignitaries at the event include: the State Chairman of the party, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, his deputy, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, former deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, Director-General of Akeredolu’s campaign platform, Hon. Victor Olabimtan, Femi Agagu, Hon. Kehinde Henry Bello, Oladunni Odu among others.

Akeredolu said the victory is not for him or APC alone, but for the good people of the state.

He said, “It is a victory for the people of Ondo State, irrespective of which side of the divide you stood during the election.

“For me it is a call to service and a challenge to perform. Although we all had different point of view before the election but today, as members of one strong, vibrant and indivisible Ondo State family, we are all united and resolute with one single objective to save our beloved state.

“I cannot thank enough, my fellow compatriots during this election, who had a separate conviction and voted elsewhere.
“They took the guts to answer the call of democracy to make a choice. I believe it is these resounding voices that have created this worthy moment which is making this victory real and refreshing.

“With this new dawn, it is now time to rediscover and reinvent ourselves. It is time to find what we lost, to rescue this land and its people from the myriad of poverty and pains which daily assail their lives.

“As patriots, it is now time to unit and revamp our fortunes. As governor, we will take deliberate and decisive steps to optically harness our overall potential for greatness, prosperity, peace and stability.”

The governor-elect however commended INEC and the security agencies for organising what he described as most credible, transparent, free and fair election.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, who spoke on why the commission held the election despite calls for it to be postponed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede SAN, said there was no justification to do so.

He pointed out that it is most unlikely that the West African Examination Council, WAEC, would postpone any of its scheduled examinations simply because its candidate in a secondary school was sick or wounded.