Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been inaugurated as the Governor of Ondo State, marking the beginning of his first full four-year term following the death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in December 2023.
The swearing-in ceremony took place on Monday at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, the state capital, two months after Aiyedatiwa won the governorship election under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Aiyedatiwa, who was sworn in as the seventh governor of Ondo State, took the oath of office shortly after his running mate, Olayide Adelami. Following the ceremony, the new governor rode through the complex in an open van, waving to the cheers of his supporters.
The journey to the governor’s office
Aiyedatiwa’s path to the government house was marked by a competitive race, notably against former deputy governor Agboola Ajayi, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Aiyedatiwa’s stay at the Government House in Alagbaka, Akure, was secured when he was declared the winner of the November 16, 2024, governorship election by the Returning Officer, Olayemi Akinwumi, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja. Aiyedatiwa, the APC candidate, garnered 366,781 votes, defeating his closest rival, Ajayi, who received 117,845 votes — less than half of Aiyedatiwa’s total.
The final results confirmed a sweeping victory for the APC, which won in all 18 local government areas of the state.
Aiyedatiwa’s rise to power
Aiyedatiwa, a former deputy governor, ascended to power on December 27, 2023, following the death of Governor Akeredolu, who passed away after a prolonged battle with illness. Prior to his death, Akeredolu had transmitted power to Aiyedatiwa, who was then serving as deputy governor.
After Akeredolu’s passing, Aiyedatiwa secured the APC’s nomination for the 2024 governorship election. He ultimately emerged victorious, going head-to-head with 17 other candidates, including Ajayi, a former deputy governor to Akeredolu during his first term.
Profile of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa
Born on January 12, 1965, in Obe-Nla, a prominent oil-producing community in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Aiyedatiwa began his education at Saint Peter’s Primary School in Obe-Nla and completed his secondary education at Ikosi High School in Ketu, Lagos, in 1982.
He holds a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in Economics and Government from Lagos State College of Education (now Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education), which he completed in 1986. He later pursued further studies, earning an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan in 2001, a Postgraduate Certificate in Chief Executive Education from Lagos Business School in 2009, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Liverpool in 2013.
Before venturing into politics, Aiyedatiwa had a diverse career in education, pharmaceuticals, finance, and general merchandise. In 1996, he founded the Blue Wall Group of Companies, which engaged in trading, foreign exchange, and travel logistics.
Aiyedatiwa’s political journey began in 2011 with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which later merged into the APC. From 2018 to 2019, he served as a Federal Commissioner representing Ondo State on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
In 2020, he was elected as deputy governor alongside Governor Akeredolu, and following Akeredolu’s passing, he assumed the office of governor.
Meanwhile, Governor Akeredolu, who passed away on December 27, 2023, at the age of 67 after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer, was succeeded by Aiyedatiwa as stipulated by the state’s constitution.
