Ondo 2024: APC Clears Aiyedatiwa, Oke, 14 Others

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) vetting committee has cleared Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and 15 other aspirants ahead of the main screening on Thursday, April 11.

The vetting committee headed by Abdulkarim Kana, a professor, also dismissed the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against Aiyedatiwa by one of the aspirants, Gbenga Edema.

According to the committee, Aiyedatiwa presented a genuine academic certificate to the party.

Available information as of Tuesday, April 9, showed that the aspirants who purchased and turned in forms in addition to Aiyedatiwa are Francis Faduyile, Adewale Akinterinwa, Oladiran Iyantan, Isaacs Kekemeke, Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Odimayo Okunjimi and Jimoh Ibrahim.

Others include Waheed-Adekojo Funmilayo, Olamide Ohunyeye, Olugbenga Edema, Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Olusola Oke, Omogoroye Judith, Mayo Akinfolarin, and Morayo Lebi.

The committee report noted that, based on its findings, all aspirants should be cleared to participate in the screening exercise.

“The vetting committee is confident that the vetting process has been conducted with integrity and transparency.

“The committee’s recommendations are aimed at ensuring that only qualified and credible aspirants are presented for the party primaries, in line with the party’s commitment to internal democracy and good governance,” the report said.

In a petition, one of the aspirants, Edema, had pleaded with the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the National Working Committee (NWC) to investigate the certificate forgery allegation levelled against Aiyedatiwa.

The governor, through his lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), refuted the allegation, stating that Aiyedatiwa took the West African School Certificate Examination and his results were authentic.

Adegboruwa said in a letter that deliberate efforts had been made to confirm the accusations against the governor, which were false.

As a result, the lawyer requested that the publications about the governor’s certificate be immediately withdrawn and that a public apology be published in three prominent newspapers.

 In addition, he sought compensation for the ‘fabrications’ that were published concerning the governor.

Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as Ondo state governor on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, following the death of his principal, Rotimi Akeredolu, who died in the early hours of the same day after a prolonged illness.