The Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed the appeal filed by Agboola Ajayi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Ajayi withdrew his appeal after consulting with PDP members, and he extended his best wishes to Governor Aiyedatiwa, pledging to continue working for the development of Ondo State.
The Court also dismissed appeals from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidates, Bamidele Akingboye and Ogunfeyimi Kolawole, respectively. The appeal in the latter case was withdrawn because the appellant had died, and the respondents did not object to the withdrawal.
Opposition parties had initially challenged Governor Aiyedatiwa’s election before the tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Akure, the state capital. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Aiyedatiwa the winner, with 366,781 votes across 18 local government areas, defeating his closest rival, PDP’s Agboola Ajayi. The Court of Appeal affirmed Aiyedatiwa’s election in July, following earlier legal victories.
The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had dismissed multiple petitions challenging his election, including Ajayi’s claim of widespread irregularities, and had also struck out similar petitions from other parties, thereby confirming Aiyedatiwa’s mandate. In a separate case, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Ajayi that questioned Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy, ruling that the suit was filed out of time and that Ajayi lacked standing to contest the internal affairs of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
With the latest dismissal, Governor Aiyedatiwa’s election is further validated, and he is expected to continue his term as governor of Ondo State. The decision marks a significant milestone in the state’s political landscape as both the governor and the opposition parties move forward.
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