Acting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is poised to be sworn in as the Governor of Ondo State at 4 PM today, December 27, 2023. The constitutional transition follows the unfortunate demise of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu at the age of 67 earlier in the day.Sources within the state government have confirmed that Aiyedatiwa, the erstwhile Deputy Governor, will ascend to the highest office, aligning with Section 191(1) of the 1999 constitution, as amended.
This section stipulates that the Deputy Governor assumes the role of Governor in the event of a vacancy due to death, resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity, or removal. As news of Governor Akeredolu's passing spread, the new Governor-to-be swiftly left his Igbokoda hometown, where he was spending his Christmas and New Year holiday, for Akure, the state capital, in preparation for the inauguration.
Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, the Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, officially confirmed Governor Akeredolu's passage after a battle with leukemia. Tributes have poured in, mourning the loss of the late administrator, politician, and legal luminary.
Lucky Aiyedatiwa had assumed the role of Acting Governor during Governor Akeredolu's ailing health, and now, with a heavy heart, he steps into the full responsibilities of the Governorship. The swearing-in ceremony marks a significant moment in Ondo State's political landscape, as it bids farewell to one leader and ushers in another in these challenging times.
