Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has been sworn in as the executive governor of Ondo State following the demise of his principal, Rotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday morning.
Profile of Aiyedatiwa
Lucky Aiyedatiwa was born on 12 January 1965 in Obe-Nla, an oil-rich community in Ilaje Local Government Area (LGA), the southern senatorial district of the state.
He is a Nigerian businessman and politician who is currently the deputy governor of Ondo State under his principal Rotimi Akeredolu, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Aiyedatiwa had also represented Ondo state as commissioner of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
On 12 December 2023, Aiyedatiwa became acting governor following the departure of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on medical leave. He had previously served as acting governor from June to September 2023 when Akeredolu was on medical leave.
Background and Education
Lucky attended Saint Peter’s UNA (now FAC) Primary School, Obe Nla/Obe Adun in Ilaje LGA, Ondo State between 1970 and 1976. He proceeded to Ikosi High School, Ketu, Lagos, in 1982 for his secondary education. In 1986, he obtained a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in Economics and Government from Lagos State College of Education (now Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education), Ijanikin, Lagos.
He later attended the University of Ibadan for an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration in the year 2001. He became an alumnus of Lagos Business School – Pan Atlantic University, Lekki, Lagos where he obtained Post Graduate Certification in Chief Executive Education (CEP) in Business Management in 2009. In 2013, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Career Before Joining Politics
Between 1982 and 1983, Aiyedatiwa worked as an Inventory and Store Officer at Scoa Assembly Plant Plc. Apapa, Lagos. In 1987 he served as the Assistant Head Teacher at Reliance International Schools, Ijokodo, Ibadan. In 1990, he became a Marketing Officer at Universal Pharmaceutical Supply Co. Ltd, Ikeja, Lagos.
In 1992, he was an Assistant Investment Analyst. Global Trust Limited, Gbagada, Lagos, he was General Merchandise Manager, Biz Mart Nigeria Limited, Lagos Island, Lagos, 1994.
He is the MD/CEO of Blue Wall Group of Companies which he founded in 1996, includes; Blue Wall Nigeria Ltd, a Trading Company, Blue Wall BDC Nigeria Ltd, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) licensed foreign exchange trading company and Blue Wall Safety Travels and Tours, an IATA licensed Travel Agency and Logistic Company.
His Political Career
Lucky Aiyedatiwa joined active politics in 2011 as a member of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which later merged with other political parties and became the All Progressive Congress (APC), Nigeria’s ruling party.
He was one of the National Delegates from Ondo State at the All Progressive Congress (APC) National Convention in Abuja in 2014. He contested for the federal House of Representatives for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in the 2015 Presidential and National Assembly General Election.
Between 2018 to 2019, he served as the federal commissioner representing Ondo State on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
He was selected as the running mate of the governor of Ondo State Rotimi Akeredolu in the 2020 Ondo State gubernatorial election. He was sworn in as the deputy governor of Ondo state alongside his principal, Rotimi Akeredolu who died in the early hours of Wednesday after a long battle with Leukemia and prostrate cancer.
Editor’s note: This was compiled from Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s Wikipedia public profile.
