As the stage is prepared for the election on November 16, Honorable Agboola Ajayi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is on the verge of leaving the party and joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This follows Ajayi’s decision to drop the lawsuit he had filed in the Supreme Court contesting the results of the previous election.
He claimed that extensive discussions with his family, friends, party members, and legal counsel led to the decision to drop his petition at the highest court.
The former deputy governor clarified that his dedication to peace and sound government served as the basis for the decision in a letter to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.
“After careful consideration, we have decided that the appeal should be withdrawn, and I hereby do so,” Ajayi stated. My top priority is promoting good administration and peaceful coexistence in Ondo State and Nigeria, where I have held positions as deputy governor and lawmaker.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa responded by revealing that Ajayi had previously expressed his willingness to join the APC in favor of President Bola Tinubu’s reelection campaign.
Hon. Agboola Ajayi has actually informed me directly that he intends to join the APC. In order for us to collaborate in creating a larger Ondo State, I am waiting for him,” Aiyedatiwa stated on Channels Television.
The Supreme Court’s rejection of all opposition petitions challenging his victory, the governor added, was “a final seal on the mandate freely given to me by the people of Ondo State.”
Ajayi, who ran among 14 other candidates for the 2024 governorship, was Aiyedatiwa’s closest opponent, receiving 117,845 votes to the APC candidate’s 366,781 votes.
Months of post-election litigation came to an end on Tuesday when the Supreme Court unanimously rejected petitions filed by the PDP, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Allied People’s Movement (APM).
Ajayi’s planned defection, if it materializes, could drastically alter Ondo State’s political climate in advance of subsequent elections, according to political analysts.
