Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has expressed his willingness to accept defeat if the governorship election does not favor him, emphasizing that he would respect the outcome as long as the process is peaceful, transparent, and free of any fraudulent practices.
Speaking to journalists after casting his vote on Saturday, Aiyedatiwa, who is seeking re-election under the All Progressives Congress (APC), praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff, security agents, and voters for ensuring a peaceful and orderly election process. He acknowledged the importance of the integrity of the voting process and expressed his hope for a peaceful, transparent, and credible election across the state.
“I’ve just cast my vote. The assessment so far, the area has been peaceful, from the information at my disposal, but judging from what is happening here, it is peaceful. People are generally exercising their franchise by casting their votes peacefully, and I want to believe that this is what is happening in other parts of the state,” Aiyedatiwa said, adding that the overall atmosphere has been calm and orderly.
“For INEC, they’ve been very transparent with the whole process. I went through the process myself—accreditation, given the ballot paper, and I cast my vote. And that is what they have been doing for every voter. So I think that it is the process. They are adhering to the process,” the Governor noted, commending the election officials for their professionalism and transparency throughout the day. He also praised the security forces for their presence and vigilance during the election, stating that so far, no incidents or crises had been reported in his locality or others that he had heard of.
“But for the security, they are also on the ground. And so far, we have not recorded any issue, any crisis. Anyway, I’ve not heard of any. I can only be at one polling unit at a time, that is where I am. But information gathered from other locations—we have not heard about any incident of any violence, as it were. So, I want to believe that the election will be peaceful,” Aiyedatiwa continued, expressing confidence in the process and in the calm demeanor of the electorate. He recalled previous elections in the state, acknowledging that while there were instances of violence in 1983, Ondo has since maintained a tradition of peaceful elections. He attributed the peaceful atmosphere to lessons learned and the discipline of the state's citizens, especially the youth, who he described as “very, very obedient.”
“Even during elections, different elections, different times. Apart from 1983 when we had a major crisis, since then, we still have been peaceful. We’ve learned our lessons. We comport ourselves. I want to also salute the youth, very, very obedient. I want to believe the whole exercise will be peaceful, transparent, credible, and conclusive,” the Governor emphasized, commending the public’s overall conduct during the election.
The Ondo State Governor also took the opportunity to encourage other residents and citizens of the state to come out and vote, stressing the importance of participation in the democratic process. He reiterated that, regardless of the outcome, he would accept the result as long as there was no evidence of fraud or misconduct in the election process.
“I would like to tell all the residents in Ondo State, citizens, especially those that have not cast their votes, to come out and vote. Thereafter, and also whatever is the outcome of the exercise, we should all accept it as the decision—the decision of the People,” Aiyedatiwa said. He emphasized the need for unity and peace, stating that he would accept the results if they reflected the will of the people, provided there were no reports of fraudulent practices or misconduct. “Well, if it doesn’t favor my party, as long as we did not receive any incident that is fraudulent in any way. Why not? That’s it. But if we notice any practices, or, you know, like I told you, I can only speak from here at the unit, I can’t be in all polling units, but so far from what I’ve heard from other locations. But overall, at the end of the day, if it remains so, I will accept the outcome,” Governor Aiyedatiwa added, reiterating his commitment to respecting the democratic process and ensuring peace throughout the election. [/p>