Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the APC leads the Ondo governorship election, winning 15 out of 18 LGAs with 268,144 votes. PDP's Agboola Ajayi trails with 79,125 votes, while ZLP's Abbas Mimiko has 2,365 votes. Concerns over vote trading were raised despite peaceful voting.
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, has taken a commanding lead in the Ondo state governorship election, securing 268,144 votes. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) began announcing results at midnight on Saturday, with results from 15 of the 18 local government areas (LGAs) already declared. Aiyedatiwa has won in all the announced LGAs, including those traditionally strong for his opponents.
His main rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has garnered 79,125 votes, while Abbas Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has secured 2,365 votes. Results from Ilaje, Ese-Odo, and Odigbo LGAs are still pending and will be crucial to outcomes.
The election, held on Saturday, was largely peaceful, although concerns over vote trading were raised. Despite the presence of security personnel, instances of vote trading were observed in several polling units, which prompted statements from civil society groups. The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room expressed concern over the unchecked trading, which persisted throughout the voting period.
As the results are tallied, Aiyedatiwa's strong performance has positioned him as the frontrunner. However, the final decision awaits the remaining LGA results, and the election’s transparency continues to be a key issue.
