By Baron Ike
The candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Rotimi Akeredolu , has been declared winner of the Saturday , November 26 Ondo State governorship election believed by many to free and peaceful .
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) declared Akeredolu winner on Sunday , November 27.
He polled 244,842 votes, winning in 14 local government areas out of 18 to defeat his closest rival, Eyitayo Jegede of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 150,380 votes and Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Decracy (AD), scoring 126,889.
Almost immediately , Akeredolu expressed gratitude to Ondo iindigenes , particularly his supporters in APC , promising to lead by example and to be governor to all Ondo people .
He played glowing tribute to President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC national chairman , John Odigie Oyegun , for their support and sense of commitment to good governance and promised not to disappoint them.
Speaker of the House of Representatives , Yakubu Dogara and disqualified governorship candidate of the PDP, for the same office, Jimoh Ibrahim were among the early persons to congratulate Akeredolu .
Ibrahim said Akeredolu deserved the victory because he will make a good governor.
President Buhari and the APC leadership have also congratulated Akeredolu and described his victory as victory of Ondo people .
The APC said the Ondo State people made the right choice, saying the election was keenly contested.
The Senate President , Bukola Saraki also congratulated Akeredolu describing his victory as well deserved. A statement by his media adviser , Yusuph Olaniyanu said Akeredolu is the right man for the job.
Akure the Ondo State capital and particularly Owo, Akeredolu’s senatorial district, went into wide jubilation on Sunday with many supporters describing the government of out going governor , Olusegun Mimiko as fraudulent and full of window dressing.
Mimiko’s tenure ends in February 2017.
At the time of filing this report , the PDP and AD candidates, Jegede and Oke respectively were yet to congratulate Akeredolu or take a stand on the result as announced by INEC.
However , feelers from their camps suggest they may not contest the outcome. Meanwhile , the election was said to be one of the best INEC has conducted of late.