Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State says he wished his principal and predecessor, late Rotimi Akeredolu, was present to witness his declaration as the governor of the state.

Akeredolu, former Ondo governor, died last year in December after a protracted prostrate cancer and was succeeded by Aiyedatiwa.

Aiyedatiwa, candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was declared poll winner on Sunday after he beat his close rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The governor, while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today in an emotional-laden voice dedicated his victory to the late governor.

“The Lord gives and takes but today he is no more. How I wish he was present in that banquet hall when I was declared in the company of other brother governors. That would have been really good but God knows better,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa, who is the incumbent governor, polled 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival and a former deputy governor of the state Ajayi Agboola of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who raked in 117,845 votes.