It’s a major win for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Federal Court of Appeal sitting in Akure has affirmed his election victory, putting to rest months of political tension in Ondo State.
The appellate court delivered its verdict on Thursday, upholding the outcome of the November 16, 2024, governorship election, where Aiyedatiwa defeated his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ajayi, who had earlier taken his complaints to the Ondo State Governorship Election Tribunal and lost, wasn’t ready to give up. He described Aiyedatiwa’s win as illegitimate and appealed to the higher court to reclaim what he called his “stolen mandate.”
But the Court of Appeal didn’t see things his way. In a firm ruling, the judges dismissed Ajayi’s appeal, describing it as lacking merit, and upheld Aiyedatiwa as the duly elected governor of Ondo State.
With this judgment, Governor Aiyedatiwa can now fully settle into his role without legal distractions. While Ajayi’s next move remains unclear, political watchers believe the window for further challenge is now very narrow.
