The election of Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the governor of Ondo State has been validated by a Court of Appeal located in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was among the appellants whose appeals were unanimously dismissed by the three-member appellate court on Thursday for lack of merit.
The Court of Appeal maintained the lower court’s earlier ruling, reaffirming Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Dr. Olayide Adelami’s election as Ondo State’s governor and deputy governor, respectively.
On June 4, 2025, the Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal upheld the outcomes of the November 16, 2024, governorship election, in which Olayide Adelami of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Lucky Aiyedatiwa were proclaimed the winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, the Social Development Party (SDP), Allied People’s Movement (APM), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) appealed the tribunal’s ruling, pleading with the appellate court to declare the results of the November 16, 2024, governorship election null.
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This came after various political parties’ petitions against the June 4, 2025, ruling of the Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which upheld the election of the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were dismissed.
The appeals were unanimously dismissed by the three presiding judges—Justice Nimpar Yargata, Justice K.I. Amadi, and Justice I.M. Sani—because the appellants had not provided evidence to support their allegations of noncompliance with the Electoral Act.
Because the appellants did not demonstrate how their claims impacted the election in the different polling places, wards, and local government regions where the election was held, the Justices determined that they had not proven their claims against the election.
Because no reliable witnesses were called to the tribunal to support the parties’ allegations of widespread irregularities in the various voting places, the court also decided that the parties had given up on their arguments.
As a result, the Court of Appeal upheld the tribunal’s rulings in every instance and proclaimed Drs. Aiyedatiwa and Adelami the elected governor and deputy governor of Ondo State, respectively, while awarding the appellants N1.5 million in costs.
Governor Aiyedatiwa responded to the ruling by praising the justices of the Appeal Court for their meticulous review of the cases and their comprehensive, unanimous rulings.
He thanked God and expressed thanks to the people of Ondo State, saying that the Appeal Court’s ruling had upheld the people’s will.
“I give glory to Almighty God who orchestrated this journey from the beginning and used the good people of Ondo State,” stated Governor Aiyedatiwa. On November 16 of last year, we were voted as the seventh democratic governor of this state by more than 366,000 citizens.
The tribunal upheld that mandate, which the Appeal Court has now confirmed. The judiciary has performed its function by maintaining the decision made by the majority of voters in each of the state’s 18 local government districts, despite attempts by certain political parties to use the backdoor to overturn the people’s decision.
Additionally, Governor Aiyedatiwa thanked his deputy, his legal staff, and APC members and leaders for their support.
“The petitions against the victory of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy were worthless and unmeritory and were accordingly dismissed,” the panel led by Justice Benson Ogubu said in dismissing the PDP’s and others’ appeals.
The state chairman of the APC, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, responded to the ruling of the Appeal Court by saying that the PDP and other appellants should just stop pursuing frivolities because their arguments lacked substantial substance.
He urged them to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship and advised them to go and get ready for the upcoming election.
“I don’t see anything substantial in their claims, so I don’t think they will still go to the Supreme Court,” Adetimehin stated.
We will be holding another election in the state in the next years, so they should just quit wasting their time and money and start getting ready for it. They ought to concede the loss.
