The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, dismissed the appeal filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Agboola Ajayi, against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
This followed the withdrawal of Ajayi’s appeal.
Through his counsel, the PDP candidate said that he withdrew the case after due consultation with members of the party.
Through his counsel, he said that he withdrew the case after due consultation with party members.
He extended his best wishes to Aiyedatiwa, who contested and won the election on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and pledged to continue to work for the development of the state.
The five-member panel, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, also dismissed the appeals filed by the governorship candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr. Bamidele Akingboye; and his Allied Peoples Movement (APM) counterpart, Mr. Ogunfeyimi Kolawole.
Counsel for Akingboye and that the SDP had informed the court of the intention to withdraw the appeal due to the death of the appellant.
Counsel for the respondents did not object to the withdrawal.
The opposition parties had earlier approached the tribunal and the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the state capital, to challenge the election of Aiyedatiwa.
While declaring Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed that he won in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
He secured 366,781 votes, while Ajayi was his closest rival.
In July, the Court of Appeal affirmed Aiyedatiwa’s election of the 16 November 2024 governorship poll, while the Court of Appeal’s decision followed earlier legal victories for the governor.
On 4 June 2025, the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal dismissed multiple petitions challenging his election, including one filed by Ajayi, who alleged widespread irregularities.
The tribunal, chaired by Justice Benson Ogubu, also struck out similar petitions from the SDP, African Democratic Congress (ADC), APM, and African Alliance (AA), affirming Aiyedatiwa’s mandate.
Before then, on 11 March 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed a separate appeal filed by Ajayi challenging Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy.
The apex court ruled that the case was filed out of time and that the PDP candidate, not being a member of the APC, lacked the legal standing to contest the internal affairs of the party, including the qualifications of Aiyedatiwa’s running mate.
