Ondo poll: S’Court dismisses appeals against Aiyedatiwa following withdrawal of suits by PDP, SDP

In a significant legal decision, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi, against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. This ruling came after Ajayi chose to withdraw his appeal following consultations with party members.

Ajayi expressed his intentions through his counsel, indicating that the decision to withdraw was made in the best interest of the party. He extended his best wishes to Governor Aiyedatiwa and committed to contributing to the ongoing development of Ondo State.

The five-member panel, headed by Justice Inyang Okoro, also dismissed appeals from other opposition candidates, including Bamidele Akingboye of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Ogunfeyimi Kolawole from the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). Counsel for Akingboye informed the court of the withdrawal due to the unfortunate passing of the appellant, which the respondents did not contest.

Earlier, these opposition parties had approached the tribunal and the Court of Appeal, challenging Aiyedatiwa’s election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Aiyedatiwa the winner of the election, noting victories in 18 local government areas, with a total of 366,781 votes.

In further developments, the Court of Appeal upheld Aiyedatiwa’s election results in July, following previous legal victories in his favor. The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had dismissed multiple petitions, including one from Ajayi citing widespread irregularities, affirming Aiyedatiwa’s mandate.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court had on March 11, 2025, dismissed another appeal from Ajayi regarding Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy, emphasising that Ajayi lacked the legal standing needed to contest the internal matters of the APC, the party under which Aiyedatiwa ran.

Source: Channels TV