Ondo Guber; Why I didn’t present my Certificate of Return to Ganduje – Aiyedatiwa gives explanation – Crime Channels
Why I didn’t present my Certificate of Return to Ganduje – Aiyedatiwa gives explanation
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has clarified that his decision to withhold his Certificate of Return from the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, was not intended as an act of disrespect.
Aiyedatiwa, who secured re-election in the recent polls, officially received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Following the presentation, Aiyedatiwa, accompanied by a delegation of Ondo State’s APC leadership, visited the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at the APC secretariat, where they were warmly received.
However, both Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Adelami Olaide, opted not to hand their certificates over to Ganduje in keeping with party protocol.
In an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, Aiyedatiwa explained that the decision was a conscious one.
He emphasised that the gesture was meant to first honor President Bola Tinubu, highlighting the Governor’s belief that such a formal acknowledgment should begin with the President before extending to the NWC.
He said, “I am supposed to first of all present the certificate to Mr President, the leader of this party. But he is not in town. That is why I cannot present the certificate to Mr Chairman first. So, it is not a case of being disrespectful.
“I just believe that is the right thing to do by presenting it to Mr President first of all before coming here. But since I am in Abuja, I had to come. I recognise the leadership that Ganduje has provided for this party at the national and even the state level. Since he took over as the chairman of this party, we have not lost any election.”
