Aiyedatiwa’s governorship victory was affirmed by the Appeal Court in Akure, dismissing opposition claims of irregularities in the 2024 Ondo election
Aiyedatiwa’s governorship victory has been definitively upheld by the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, bringing a wave of relief to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
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The appellate court on Thursday dismissed all appeals challenging Aiyedatiwa’s triumph in the November 16, 2024, Ondo governorship election.
The three-man judicial panel unanimously ruled that the opposition parties failed to provide substantial evidence of electoral malpractices or non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Aiyedatiwa, who secured 366,781 votes according to INEC, defeated candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Alliance (AA), Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The petitioners previously lost at the tribunal level but escalated their grievances to the Court of Appeal.
However, the appellate judges found their cases lacking credible witnesses and evidence, describing the claims as legally abandoned.
In a strong and decisive judgment, the court imposed a cost of N1.5 million against the appellants and affirmed Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, as the duly elected leaders of the state.
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This ruling is seen as a major win for the APC in Ondo and a powerful endorsement of the integrity of the electoral process.
