Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ondo state governor-elect, says he wishes Rotimi Akeredolu, his late principal, was alive to witness his victory.

Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor of Ondo, secured victory in all 18 LGAs, garnering 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 117,845 votes.

Aiyedatiwa took over the leadership of the state after Akeredolu died from protracted prostate cancer in 2023.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television after his victory, Aiyedatiwa said Akeredolu wanted him as his successor.

“How I wish he was present in that banquet hall when I was declared in the company of other brother governors. That would have been really good, but God knows better,” he said.

“It is so sad and painful that he didn’t live to see the manifestation of what he himself spoke about. I do refer to him sometimes as the man who saw tomorrow.

“He knew that I was going to succeed him as governor. He knew because he wanted me to and was ready to give me the full backing.”

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, is well ahead of his compatriots in the Ondo governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the announcement of the results at midnight on Saturday.

So far, results from 15 local government areas (LGAs) have been announced, with three outstanding.

Aiyedatiwa has polled 268,144 votes so far, while Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has secured 79,125 votes and Abbas Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has won 2,365.

The APC candidate, who is the incumbent governor, has won in all the 15 LGAs, including the strongholds of his challengers.

Results from Ilaje, Ese-Odo and Odigbo LGAs are still being expected at the collation centre.

The collation exercise was adjourned till 12pm by the INEC returning officer for the election.

Meanwhile, on the INEC result viewing portal, 99 percent of the governorship election results have been uploaded.

The election, which took place on Saturday, was largely peaceful and devoid of violence in most parts of the state.

However, journalists and civil society organisations observed several cases of vote trading.

“This situation has continued unabatedly and heightened in this election. It is worrying that, despite the high presence of security personnel at the polling units, vote trading went on openly unchecked during the voting hours,” the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said in its preliminary assessment.

Personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended a suspected vote buyer in the ongoing Ondo governorship election.

The man was nabbed on election day at ward 4, polling unit 007, outside St Stephen’s Primary School, Akure.

Television footage showed the operatives and passers-by bellowing on the man to open the boot of his Toyota Camry car. Once he did, two ‘Ghana-must-go’ bags were seen sitting pretty.

The bags were not opened before the cameras as a mob encircled.

The DSS operatives then shoved the man into a white bus from where he was spirited away.

Vote-buying has become commonplace in Nigeria’s elections. Civil society organisations continue to bemoan the trend where agents of political parties carry cash to polling units to induce voters to cast their ballots a certain way.