Former Governor of Lagos State Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the cynosure of all eyes today at the inauguration of Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN as the Governor of Ondo State, South West Nigeria
Tinubu arrived Akure the Ondo State capital and was received by a high powered delegation of party leaders at the Akure local Airport.
Governor Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, took the oath of office as the sixth democratically-elected governor of the sunshine state.
Thereafter he heaped praises on President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara, All Progressives Congress APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun whom he praised for his steadfastness and Ashiwaju Tinubu, whom he thanked for making time out of his busy schedule to witness his inauguration.
Akeredolu replaced Olusegun Mimiko of the Peoples Democratic Party. Earlier, Ajayi Agboola was sworn into office as Deputy Governor.
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Pius Akinyelure, Chief Segun Oni, Senator Babafemi Ojodu, Minister of Solid Minerals Resources Kayode Fayemi attended the event.
Tinubu’s attendance signaled a truce between him and the new governor after the controversy that trailed November’s gubernatorial elections.
Tinubu threw his weight behind Engr Olusegun Abraham who came second in the primaries; he thereafter alleged manipulation of the primary process.
The decision of the National Working Committee of the party to retain Akeredolu as the party’s standard bearer, drew the ire of Tinubu, who called for the resignation of the party National Chairman, whom he accused of receiving bribe from Akeredolu and his backers to bend justice.
Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, and Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governor’s forum, also witnessed the transfer of power from the PDP to APC.
State governors of Ogun, Niger, Kogi, Sokoto and Oyo states were also all in attendance.