Aiyedatiwa sworn in as Ondo governor

Aiyedatiwa sworn in as Ondo governor

Tamarauemi Ebimini

Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been inaugurated as the Governor of Ondo State, commencing his first full four-year term following the death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in December 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.

According to details on the state government website, he 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.

Before entering politics, Aiyedatiwa had a diverse career spanning education, pharmaceuticals, finance, and general merchandise. In 1996, he founded the Blue Wall Group of Companies, which had interests in trading, foreign exchange, and travel logistics.

His political career began 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.