Gov Ayedatiwa reciting oath of office. February 24,2025

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 ceremony took place on Monday at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, the state capital, two months after he won the governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Aiyedatiwa took his oath of office just after his running mate Olayide Adelami around 12:59 pm.

The governor thereafter rode in an open van around the complex, waving to cheers from supporters.

The inauguration completes the succession process in the Sunshine State, with Aiyedatiwa expected to head the next administration which will lead the state in the next four years.

To arrive here, Aiyedatiwa had to overcome a stiff competition from another former deputy governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi, who contested against him on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Earlier today, to marked his swearing-in, Aiyedatiwa,  with a bold act of clemency, granted freedom and reduced sentences to 43 prisoners.

Acting on the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, the Governor ordered the immediate release of eight convicts, while 15 death row inmates had their sentences commuted to prison terms.

Another 20 serving life sentences were granted reduced jail terms.

This, according to a statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan is a move that underscores his commitment to justice reform, the statement noted.