Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been inaugurated as the governor of Ondo State, marking the beginning of his first full four-year term after replacing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu who died in office in 2023.
The swearing-in ceremony took place on Monday at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, the state capital, two months after Aiyedatiwa won the governorship election under the banner of the All Progressives Congress.
Aiyedatiwa, who had been serving as the governor following the passing of his predecessor, Rotimi Akeredolu, took the oath of office amid cheers from supporters, party leaders, and government officials.
Aiyedatiwa started his political career in 2011 with the Action Congress of Nigeria, which later merged into the APC. He served as a Federal Commissioner representing Ondo State on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission from 2018 to 2019.
In 2020, he was elected as Deputy Governor alongside Governor Akeredolu and assumed office as governor following Akeredolu’s passing.
Meanwhile, Akeredolu died on December 27, 2023, at the age of 67, after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer. His death led to Aiyedatiwa’s succession as governor. As Akeredolu’s deputy, he was constitutionally required to take over the reins of government, ensuring stability in the state’s leadership.
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To celebrate his swearing-in, a statement on Monday by Ebenezer Adeniyan, Aiyedatiwa’s chief press secretary, said the governor also pardoned 43 convicts and ordered the release of eight incarcerated inmates.
“As part of this initiative, the Governor has ordered the outright release of 8 individuals who were previously incarcerated,” the statement reads.
“Additionally, 15 condemned inmates who were sentenced to death by hanging have had their sentences commuted to various prison terms, while 20 other convicts serving life imprisonment have also had their sentences adjusted to more lenient terms.”
Adeniyan said the pardon follows the recommendations of the state advisory council on the prerogative of mercy, chaired by Olukayode Ajulo, the state’s attorney-general and commissioner for Justice.
“This decision is a testament to Governor Aiyedatiwa’s belief in second chances and the potential for rehabilitation. It is His Excellency’s responsibility to ensure that our justice system reflects mercy and humanity,” the statement added.
According to details on the state government website, the new governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa was born on January 12, 1965, in Obe-Nla, an oil-producing community in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. Aiyedatiwa’s education began at Saint Peter’s Primary School in Obe-Nla, and he completed his secondary education at Ikosi High School, Ketu, Lagos, in 1982.
He holds a Nigeria Certificate in Education in Economics and Government from Lagos State College of Education (now Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education), obtained in 1986.
Furthering his education, he earned an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan in 2001, a Postgraduate Certificate in Chief Executive Education from Lagos Business School in 2009, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Liverpool in 2013.
