Appeal Court affirms Aiyedatiwa, Adelami’s victory as duly elected Ondo Governor, Deputy
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The Court of Appeal has reaffirmed the legitimacy of the election of Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and Dr. Olayide Adelami as the duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Ondo State, respectively.
In a unanimous judgment delivered today, the appellate court upheld the earlier decisions of the Election Petition Tribunal, which dismissed all petitions challenging the election.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied People’s Movement (APM) and Social Development Party (SDP) had filed appeals against the judgment of the tribunal, asking for the invalidation of the November 16, 2024 governorship election.
The three Justices, Justice Nimpar Yargata, Justice K.I. Amadi and Justice I.M. Sani, unanimously struck out the appeals, one after the other, for not substantiating the claims of non compliance with the Electoral Act.
The court ruled that the appeals lacked merit and failed to establish any substantial grounds to overturn the verdict of the tribunal.
Accordingly, the court affirmed the outcome of the March 2025 Governorship Election in Ondo State and declared Dr. Aiyedatiwa and Dr. Adelami as validly elected. A cost of N1.5 million was awarded against the appellants in favour of the respondents.
In his reaction to the judgment, Governor Aiyedatiwa described it as a welcome development, commending the Appeal Court justices for the painstakingly going through the cases and delivering detailed unanimous judgments.
Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude to God and the people of Ondo State, adding that the judgment of the Appeal Court has reaffirmed the will of the people.
He said: “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.
“That mandate was validated by the tribunal and has now been reaffirmed by the Appeal Court. While some political parties tried to overturn the people’s decision through the backdoor, the judiciary has fulfilled its role by upholding the choice made by the majority of voters across the 18 local government areas of the state,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa appreciated his deputy, his team of lawyers, as well as APC leaders and members for their support.
