Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on Thursday won the case at the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the state’s capital, affirming his victory in the November 16, 2024, governorship election.
The Governor who was joined by the Secretary to the Ondo State Government (SSG), Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti, and other government officials jubilated over the victory, which is seen as a definite affirmation of the legitimacy and finality of Governor Aiyedatiwa’s mandate.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had declared Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of the poll, having polled a total of 366,781 votes, defeating the candidates of other parties in the poll.
Apart from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), other parties including the Social Democratic Party, the Action Alliance, the Allied Peoples’ Movement, and the African Democratic Congress, also filed petitions against the victory of Governor Aiyedatiwa.
In a judgement delivered on Thursday, the three-man panel of appeal court judges – Justice Nimpar Yargata, Justice K.I. Amadi and Justice I.M. Sani, unanimously struck out the appeals, one after the other, for not substantiating the claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The appellate court also held that the appellants failed to prove their allegations against the election as they did not show how their claims affected the election in the various polling units, wards, and local government areas where the election took place.
After dismissing the opposition petitions as unsubstantiated, the Court imposed fines of N1.5million on the petitioners.
