The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has upheld the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami, in the November 16, 2024, governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Aiyedatiwa, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, as the winner of the poll with 366,781 votes, defeating other party candidates.
Following the announcement, the Peoples Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, Allied Peoples’ Movement, and African Democratic Congress all filed petitions at the Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal, alleging widespread irregularities and non-compliance with electoral laws.
However, the tribunal dismissed the petitions, ruling in favour of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy. Dissatisfied, the petitioners took the case to the appellate court.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, the three-man panel comprising Justice Nimpar Yargata, Justice K.I. Amadi, and Justice I.M. Sani struck out the appeals, one after the other. The court ruled that the appellants failed to substantiate claims of irregularities or demonstrate how such alleged malpractices affected the election outcome in the affected polling units, wards, and local government areas.
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The panel further stated that the appellants abandoned their cases, noting the absence of credible witnesses at the tribunal to support claims of widespread irregularities.
With this ruling, the appellate court affirmed the tribunal’s decision, confirming Aiyedatiwa and Adelami as the duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Ondo State. The court also awarded a total of N1.5 million in costs against the appellants.
