Ondo Guber: Group faults Ajayi’s withdrawal of petition, questions patriotism move
The Sunshine Centre for Justice and Development has faulted the reports that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 Ondo State election, Agboola Ajayi withdrew his petition at the Supreme Court based on patriotism.
The group in a statement by its Coordinator, Prince Emmanuel Sehindemi, said Ajayi withdrew the case because he knew that his petition lacked merit.
According to the group, if Ajayi was patriotic, he shouldn’t have challenged the outcome of the election in the first place.
It said the former deputy governor challenged the election from the Tribunal to the Supreme Court before he decided to withdraw the case.
The group said: “In a dramatic twist less than 24 hours before the Supreme Court was billed to deliver judgment on the keenly followed governorship dispute in Ondo State, Ajayi suddenly announced the withdrawal of his appeal against the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
“The decision, though dressed in the robes of patriotism, has sent shockwaves across political and legal circles, because from Tribunal to the Supreme Court he challenged the outcome of the election.
“The November 2024 election in Ondo State produced a clear and overwhelming victory for Governor Aiyedatiwa, who coasted to power with a margin that observers described as undisputable. But Ajayi refused to concede.
“Within weeks, he approached the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, citing alleged irregularities and demanding the nullification of Aiyedatiwa’s victory.
“When the tribunal dismissed his petition for lack of merit, Ajayi swiftly proceeded to the Court of Appeal.
“In May 2025, the appellate court upheld the tribunal’s ruling, reiterating that the PDP candidate had failed to substantiate his allegations.
“Still undeterred, Ajayi escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, the last bus stop in Nigeria’s judicial hierarchy.
“The apex court fixed September 17, 2025, as the date for judgment. But, to the shock of many, Ajayi abruptly filed a notice of withdrawal on September 16, a day before the ruling.
“While Ajayi’s withdrawal has been widely hailed in some quarters as an act of statesmanship, observers argue that such praise is misplaced.
“Shockingly, even senior members of the Aiyedatiwa administration, including the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who had initially called on Ajayi and other petitioners to withdraw their petitions, were quick to innocently commend the move, describing it as a patriotic sacrifice to end litigation and allow governance to thrive.”
The group urged Ondo State citizens, particularly those in positions of public trust, to resist the urge to romanticise Ajayi’s decision.
It said instead, the focus should shift to exposing the ignoble roles played by desperate politicians who attempt to hold the democratic process hostage.
“With the withdrawal and eventual dismissal of the appeal, by the Supreme Court, the 2024 Ondo governorship election litigation chapter has been conclusively closed.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa can now fully focus on governance without the distraction of legal fireworks.
“In the final analysis, Ajayi’s withdrawal should not be mistaken for patriotism, it is a forced and the inevitable consequence of challenging free, fair and credible exercise,” it said.
