The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure on Thursday upheld the election of Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Olayide Adelami as the duly elected governor and deputy governor of Ondo State.
The appellate court dismissed appeals filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The parties challenged the June 4 verdict of the Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which had affirmed the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates.
Delivering a unanimous judgment, the three-man panel comprising Justices Nimpar Yargata, K.I. Amadi and I.M. Sani struck out the appeals for lack of merit.
The court held that the appellants failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act during the 16 November 2024 governorship election.
The panel ruled that the petitioners did not demonstrate how the alleged irregularities impacted polling units, wards, or local government areas where the election took place.
It further stated that the parties failed to call credible witnesses to substantiate their claims, effectively abandoning their cases.
The court affirmed the tribunal’s judgment and declared Aiyedatiwa and Adelami as the validly elected governor and deputy.
The court also awarded N1.5 million in costs against the appellants.
Reacting to the judgment, Aiyedatiwa welcomed the ruling and commended the Justices for their diligence in delivering a comprehensive and unanimous verdict.
“I give glory to Almighty God who orchestrated this journey from the beginning and used the good people of Ondo State. Over 366,000 residents gave us their mandate on 16 November last year, and that mandate has been reaffirmed by both the tribunal and now the Appeal Court,” the governor said.
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He added that while some political parties sought to overturn the will of the people, the judiciary had once again upheld the democratic choice of the electorate across all 18 local government areas.
Aiyedatiwa also expressed appreciation to his deputy, legal team, party leaders, and members of the APC for their unwavering support throughout the legal process.
