I will accept defeat, if the election is transparent – Gov Aiyedatiwa

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has expressed his willingness to accept defeat if the governorship election does not favor him. He emphasized that he would respect the outcome as long as the voting process remains peaceful.

Speaking to journalists after casting his vote on Saturday, Aiyedatiwa, who is seeking re-election under the All Progressives Congress (APC), praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff, security agents, and voters for ensuring a peaceful election process.

“I’ve just cast my vote. The assessment so far, the area has been peaceful, from the information at my disposal, but judging from what is happening here it is peaceful. People are generally exercising franchise by casting their votes peacefully and I want to believe that this is what is happening in other parts of the state.

“For INEC, they’ve been very transparent with the whole process. I went through the process myself, accreditation, given the ballot paper and I casted my vote, and that is what they have been doing for every voter. So I think that it is the process. So they are adhering to the process.

“But for the security, they are also on ground. And so far, we have not recorded any issue, any crisis. Anyway, I’ve not heard of any. I can only be at one polling unit at a time, that is where I am.

“But information gathered from other locations. We have not heard about any incident of any violence, as it were. So, I want to believe that the election will be peaceful.

“Even during elections, different elections, different times. Apart from 1983 when we have a major crisis, since then, we still have been peaceful. We’ve learned our lessons. We comport ourselves. I want to also salute the youth, very, very obedient. I want to believe the whole exercise will be peaceful, transparent, credible and conclusive,” the Governor said.

The Ondo State Governor called on other citizens of the state to come out and vote. He explained that he would accept the outcome of the result.

“I would like to tell all the residents in Ondo State, citizens, especially those that have not cast their votes to come out and vote. Thereafter, and also whatever is the outcome of the exercise, we should all accept it as the decision, the decision of the People,

“Well, if it doesn’t favor my party, as long as we did not receive any incident that is fraudulent in any way. Why not? That’s it. But if we notice any practices, or, you know, like I told you, I can only speak from here at the unit, I can’t be in all polling units, but so far from what I’ve heard from other locations. But overall, at the end of the day, if it remains so, I will accept the outcome,” Governor Aiyedatiwa added.