The Akure Division of the Court of Appeal on Thursday affirmed the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the duly elected Governor of Ondo State, sealing his victory in the November 16, 2024 governorship election.
A three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Yargata Nimpar, unanimously dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Agboola Ajayi, who had challenged the outcome of the poll.
In its ruling, the appellate court upheld the earlier decision of the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had validated Aiyedatiwa’s win as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Nimpar, delivering the lead judgment, described Ajayi’s appeal as “devoid of merit”, stressing that the appellants failed to prove their case with credible evidence.
“The appeal fails in its entirety,” the court ruled. “There is no cogent reason to disturb the findings of the tribunal.”
With the ruling, Governor Aiyedatiwa’s victory under the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains intact, putting an end to months of legal contestation over the 2024 governorship poll in the state.
Let me know if you’d like this adapted into a broadcast script, social media summary, or headline suggestions.
