The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeals challenging the election of Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following the withdrawal of suits filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The governorship candidate of the PDP, Agboola Ajayi, withdrew his appeal after consulting with members of his party. In a statement through his counsel, Ajayi extended his best wishes to Governor Aiyedatiwa and pledged to continue working for the development of Ondo State.
Similarly, the SDP’s governorship candidate, Bamidele Akingboye, and his Allied Peoples Movement (APM) counterpart, Ogunfeyimi Kolawole, also withdrew their appeals. Counsel for Akingboye informed the court that the decision followed the death of the appellant.
A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Inyang Okoro dismissed the appeals without objection from the respondents.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the November 16, 2024, governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), securing 366,781 votes across 18 local government areas.
The latest ruling caps a string of legal victories for Aiyedatiwa. In July, the Court of Appeal affirmed his election after the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in June dismissed multiple petitions, including one from Ajayi alleging widespread irregularities.
In March, the Supreme Court also dismissed a separate appeal filed by Ajayi challenging Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy, ruling that the case was filed out of time and that Ajayi lacked the legal standing to contest the internal affairs of the APC.
