The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has affirmed the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing all petitions filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and four other political parties.
The ruling was delivered on Wednesday evening, with the tribunal confirming that Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, was duly elected in the November 16, 2024, Governorship poll.
According to the tribunal, Aiyedatiwa secured a total of 366,781 votes, a result deemed valid and lawful.
Challengers to the outcome included the PDP, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Alliance (AA), Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
They claimed that the election was full of irregularities like over-voting, multiple thumb-printing, and failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
But in a unanimous ruling, the three-man panel led by Justice Benson Ogbu said the petitions had no merit.
“The petitioners failed to provide enough evidence. Their claims were weak, lacked seriousness, and could not stand in court,” the tribunal said.
Specifically, the court ruled that the PDP and its candidate, Agboola Ajayi, could not prove their case.
The panel said they made serious allegations but did not bring strong evidence.
“There is no way the tribunal can confirm non-compliance with the law when no clear proof was shown,” the judges said.
They added that Ajayi “failed woefully” to show that electoral irregularities affected the outcome of the election.
Reacting to the judgment, PDP’s lawyer, Olujimi Oluseye, said the party would study the ruling before deciding to appeal.
“We respect the court, but we’re not satisfied. Our clients have a right to challenge this. We’ll get a copy of the judgment and review it,” he said.
In his own reaction, Aiyedatiwa thanked God and the people of Ondo State. He called on opposition members to join his government to build the state.
“I give thanks to God and to the people of Ondo. About 366,000 voters gave us the mandate, and now the tribunal has confirmed it.
“Some thought they could steal the victory through the back door, but the court has proved otherwise,” he said.
