All Progressives Congress chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has congratulated Mr Rotimi Akeredolu on his re-election as Ondo State governor.
Tinubu said Akeredolu’s victory in the October 10 governorship poll was a testament to his “sterling first-term performance and an affirmation of the confidence reposed in him by the people of Ondo.”
The former Lagos State governor made this known in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Asiwaju Tinubu Congratulates Governor Akeredolu’.
The PUNCH had reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Akeredolu winner of Saturday’s election, having polled the highest score of 292,830 votes.
Akeredolu, who contested on the platform of the APC, defeated the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, who got 195,791 votes. The governor also defeated his estranged deputy, Agboola Ajayi, of the Zenith Labour Party, who came a distant third with 69, 127 votes.
Tinubu in the statement urged the governor to be magnanimous in victory and extend a hand of fellowship to those who contested with him.
He also advised Akeredolu to repay the faith of Ondo people by consolidating on his first-term achievements.
The statement partly read, “I congratulate Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) for his well-deserved re-election as Governor of Ondo State.
“This victory in a peaceful, free, and fair process is a testament to Governor Akeredolu’s sterling first-term performance and an affirmation of the confidence reposed in him by the people of Ondo.
“In his first term, Governor Akeredolu erected important structures, embarked upon road infrastructure and focused on projects like the Ore Industrial Hub in a bid to create empowerment and employment for the people.
“It is now incumbent on him to repay the people’s faith by building on the achievements of his first term and bringing further tangible improvement to the lives of the people of his state.
“Governor Akeredolu’s re-election has demonstrated what a united and cooperative APC can do when working together to advance our party’s progressive agenda. The reconciliation we spearheaded ensured we had a united APC, which worked towards achieving victory in the election.
“The battle is not over with the re-election of Governor Akeredolu. We must strive to establish a progressive government where we are capable of doing so.
“I urge Governor Akeredolu to be magnanimous in victory and extend his hand of fellowship to those who contested against him. I commend all the parties and candidates that took part in the election particularly the PDP and ZLP candidates for putting up a spirited fight in the spirit of democracy.
“With the election over, it is now time to rally round the governor to move the state forward towards its full potential.”
By Kayode Oyero