Ahead of the primary election of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, the pioneer leaders of the party have adopted Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as their preferred candidate for the exercise.

The decision of the party leaders under the auspices of Aborigines was made known on Tuesday during a meeting in Akure, the state capital.

The leaders of the party at the meeting included a former deputy leader of the Senate, Ajayi Borrofice, Tokunbo Ajasin, Taiwo Malumi, Grace Animola, Yinusa Adeola and Akinsehinde Awodeyi-Apata.

The leaders, led by an ex-Ambassador to Togo, Sola Iji, revealed that Mr Aiyedatiwa was adopted after the vetting carried out by a nine-member committee set up a few weeks ago to screen on the governorship aspirants.

Mr Iji explained that out of the party’s three governorship aspirants whose antecedents were vetted, Mr Aiyedatiwa stood out and was recommended as the party’s candidate.

He said, “After thorough discussions and careful consideration, the leadership collectively agreed to extend their endorsement to Governor Aiyedatiwa.

“This decision was not made lightly; rather, it was the culmination of a comprehensive assessment. This rigorous evaluation process underscores our commitment to selecting the most qualified candidate to lead us forward.’’

Mr Iji explained that Mr Aiyedatiwa scored the highest mark of 777, saying the leaders agreed to adopt him based on principle, popularity, acceptability, character, integrity, loyalty, commitment, educational background, and assessments by the prominent party leaders.

Responding, Mr Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude for the endorsement as APC candidate for the upcoming governorship poll and thanked the leaders for their commitment to the party development.

The governor also emphasized the importance of continuity to uphold the legacy of his late boss, Rotimi Akeredolu.

“Let me say that your open, transparent and credible endorsement of my candidature is an honour, not just for me, but also for fellow contestants and the APC family in

Ondo State. What you have done is to put our great party on the path of victory in the impending governorship election in our sunshine state,” he said.

Recall that the APC rescheduled the primary in the state to April 20 as 11 governorship aspirants of the party had picked up nomination forms to contest the party’s ticket.