Akeredolu Receives Certificate of Return

•Urges deputy gov to resign

By James Sowole

The Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), and the Deputy Governor-elect, Mr. Lucky Ayedatiwa, have received Certificates of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Akeredolu also yesterday told his estranged deputy, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, to resign from his position if he has any honour.

The Ondo State governor received the certificate yesterday from the Ondo State INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, at the headquarters of the commission in Akure, the state capital.

The governor commended the INEC for the successful conduct of the election on Saturday.

The governor, who commended the efforts of the security agents for ensuring that the election went smoothly, dedicated his victory and the certificates to God and the people of the state.

In a related development, Akeredolu yesterday told his estranged deputy, Ajayi, to resign from his position if he has any honour.

The deputy governor had dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) and contested the just-concluded September 10 governorship elections in the state on the platform of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) against Akeredolu, who was the APC standard-bearer.

Speaking to State House correspondents after being presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni in Abuja, Akeredolu called on the deputy governor to vacate the post.

He said even if Ajayi does not resign, his days were numbered as a new administration will soon be sworn-in.

Akeredolu also said that if Ajayi decides to show contrite, he was ready to receive him with open arms.

The Ondo governor also described his declaration of some prominent Ondo indigenes as his enemies for life as a political statement, saying that having won the election, he has no need to keep enemies.

“We (APC) went to battle united and it is clear that when we are united, no force can stop us. We went (to the election) and fought a good battle.” He, however, said, “Ondo no be Edo.”