Certificate Forgery Claims Plot To Discredit Aiyedatiwa Ahead Poll—Aide

In an effort to cast doubt on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s credibility in the run-up to the governorship election in Ondo State on November 16, 2024, his political opponents have backed baseless accusations of certificate fabrication.

Ebenezer Adeniyan, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, announced this on Monday.

After failing to impeach Aiyedatiwa, the assistant said that “desperate elements” have turned to blackmail.

“Last night, at a well-known hotel in Akure, a gubernatorial candidate met with a few people and instructed them to publish reports claiming that the incumbent used fake certificates to run for office,” Adeniyan reported.

In the run-up to the upcoming state governorship race, it is critical that the public be made aware of this attempt to tarnish Mr. Governor.

“The credentials of Mr. Governor, who ran for governor in 2020 on a ticket with his former principal, are publicly available and have been filed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

Even though it may be premature for Aiyedatiwa to express interest in the 2024 governorship election in the state, her goal is progressive, and the state is in an inconsolable and solemn mood due to the death of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in late December.

Subject to any last-minute changes, INEC has already scheduled the Ondo State Governorship Election for November 16, 2024.

By the end of Akeredolu’s second term in office in February 2025, Aiyedatiwa will have fulfilled his constitutional obligation to serve as governor of the state for at least eight more years if elected.

Nevertheless, as of February 2025, the burning question among astute observers of Ondo’s political barometer is whether Aiyedatiwa will formally seek office or quietly step down. Does he have what it takes to win over the gladiators in Akeredolu’s camp and get their support for a potential election triumph? Everything will be revealed in due course.