The Federal Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, has upheld the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the November 16, 2024, governorship poll.
Aiyedatiwa, who ran on the APC platform, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 366,781 votes and securing victory in all 18 local government areas of the state.
He defeated his closest opponent, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The appellate court’s decision reinforces earlier rulings in Aiyedatiwa’s favor.
On June 4, 2025, the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal dismissed several petitions challenging his election, including one from Ajayi, who alleged widespread electoral malpractice.
The tribunal, led by Justice Benson Ogubu, also struck out petitions filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), and African Alliance (AA), affirming the legitimacy of Aiyedatiwa’s victory.
Earlier, on March 11, 2025, the Supreme Court threw out a separate case brought by Ajayi disputing Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy. The court ruled that the suit was filed out of time and that Ajayi, not being an APC member, lacked the legal standing to challenge the party’s internal decisions, including the qualifications of Aiyedatiwa’s running mate.
