The late governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, was laid to rest on Friday, February 23. Shortly after the burial, the current governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, declared his intention to run for the All Progressive Congress (APC) primary election which is scheduled for April 2024.
Aiyedatiwa had previously served as Akeredolu’s deputy before the latter’s death in December 2023. Following Akeredolu’s demise, Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the governor of Ondo State. In an interview with TVC on Friday night, Aiyedatiwa confirmed that he would be seeking the APC’s candidacy for the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in the state.
Aiyedatiwa stated that he intends to run for a full term in office, as no one would want to be governor for just one year. He also mentioned that he hopes to be given a chance to run for one more term, as allowed by the constitution.
To honour the late Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa had declared Thursday, February 22, and Friday, February 23, as public holidays. This was to enable the people of the state to pay their last respects to the former governor during his burial activities.