Akure, the Ondo State capital yesterday stood still for hours in honour of the new governor of the state, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN as eminent personalities and leaders from across the country thronged the city.
Akeredolu who emerged winner of the November 26, 2016 governorship election held in the state was sworn in as the sixth executive governor of the state at exactly 11.30am by the Acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Temitayo Osoba.
The immediate past governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko had on Thursday evening handed over to Akeredolu at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the governor’s office in Akure.
The inauguration held at the Akure city stadium witnessed a huge crowd as all the roads leading to the venue of the ceremony were blocked, even as the facility was filled to capacity.
The array of dignitaries included the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu
Dogara who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Lasun Yusuf, National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Leader of the APC and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the former National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.
Others were the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of State for Niger/Delta, Prof. Claudius Daramola, Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi and the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh.
Also at the ceremony were Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Umar Ganduje (Kano), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abubarkar Bello (Niger), Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Bello Yahaya (Kogi), Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara).
Others were leader of the pan Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, former Military Administrator of Ondo State, General Ekundayo Opaleye, former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, Senate Chief Whip, Prof. Sola Adeyeye, former governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, APC National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire SAN, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Matters, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) among others.
In his inaugural speech entitled “Journey to Redemption”, Governor Akeredolu said he was determined to ensure a rapid transformation of Ondo State and make a difference, even as he promised to address all the anxieties of all indigenes of the state.
He said he had offered himself to lead a competent team to save Ondo State and return it to prosperity, adding that “I have come to you with a message of hope and a vision of life abundant. Together, we shall make our society viable and we shall build a new Ondo State where honesty, integrity and accountability will be our common identity.”
Governor Akeredolu who called for the support of all and sundry, stressed the need for the participation of all indigenes of the state in the running of its affairs, saying he could not alone deliver the needed transformation to the state.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, on Friday said the welfare and unity of Yoruba people were important for anybody to play politics with.
The governor, who spoke in Akure, Ondo State during the inauguration of Governor Akeredolu, said being a leader of the PDP should not stop him from attending the inauguration of an APC governor.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor said such an occasion was a national one that well-meaning people should identify with.
“This is a Nigerian affair. When a governor is sworn in we have to support him. We are talking of regional integration and unity and Akeredolu is one of us. We have to support him and electioneering has come and gone and a winner has emerged and we have to work together in the spirit of the people of our region.
“We cannot play politics with the welfare of the people of our region. We have to support Akeredolu to make the difference. This is a matter of the Yoruba nation and after Nigeria, Yoruba nation comes first. We don’t need to play politics with the welfare of Yoruba people,” he said.
(The Sun)
