BREAKING: Gov Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s election stands, says Appeal Court

The Federal Court of Appeal, sitting in Akure, Ondo State Capital, has upheld the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the November 16, 2024 governorship election.

The appellate court’s decision confirmed Aiyedatiwa’s victory, dismissing any appeals that sought to challenge the legitimacy of his election.

Appeal Court Upholds Aiyedatiwa’s Election as Ondo Governor, Dismisses Opposition Petitions

Delivering judgment on Thursday, a three-member panel of justices dismissed the appeals brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Action Alliance (AA) for lack of merit and failure to present sufficient evidence to support their claims.

The justices affirmed the earlier ruling by the Ondo State Governorship Election Tribunal on June 4, which had dismissed the petitions on similar grounds.

The tribunal had ruled that the petitioners failed to substantiate allegations of academic certificate forgery, over-voting, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

Justice Benson Ogbudu, who delivered the lead judgment at the tribunal, described the evidence provided by APM and SDP as speculative and lacking probative value.

The tribunal also ruled that the Action Alliance (AA) lacked the legal standing to contest the results, as the party did not field a candidate in the election.

Claims of electoral malpractice and vote-buying were also dismissed due to absence of credible evidence.

Unwilling to accept the tribunal’s decision, the aggrieved parties filed appeals.

However, the appellate court upheld the lower court’s decision, stating that the appellants failed to prove how alleged electoral irregularities affected results in polling units, wards, and local governments.

The court further noted that the petitioners failed to call credible witnesses to support their claims of widespread irregularities, effectively abandoning their cases.

A cost of ₦1.5 million was awarded against the appellants.

Reacting to the judgment, Governor Aiyedatiwa praised the judiciary for reaffirming the will of the people.

“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 November 16 last year to continue governing this state as the seventh democratically elected governor,” he said.

He described the appellate court’s decision as a validation of the people’s choice and thanked his deputy, legal team, APC leaders, and supporters for their unwavering backing throughout the legal process.