The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi.
In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Garba Lawal, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit, describing it as baseless and frivolous. The ruling upholds the concurrent judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, both of which had earlier dismissed Ajayi’s challenge on procedural grounds.
Ajayi had sought to nullify Aiyedatiwa’s victory, alleging that his deputy, Owolabi Adelami, was ineligible for office due to accusations of forgery, impersonation, and falsification of documents. However, the courts ruled that Ajayi’s claims were filed beyond the constitutionally mandated 14-day window and failed to meet the evidentiary threshold required for criminal allegations.
On December 2, 2024, the Federal High Court struck out the case, declaring it “statute-barred” and noting that forgery accusations required more substantial evidence than could be presented through an originating summons. The Court of Appeal upheld this decision on January 18, 2025, imposing a N500,000 fine on Ajayi.
With this final verdict, the Supreme Court has put an end to the legal dispute, cementing Aiyedatiwa’s position as the duly elected governor of Ondo State.
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