Appeal Court upholds Aiyedatiwa’s victory as Ondo Governor

The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has affirmed the election of Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the duly elected governor of Ondo State, dismissing all appeals challenging his victory.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, a three-member panel of the appellate court struck out petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Action Alliance (AA) for lacking merit.

Earlier on June 4, the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had thrown out the petitions on similar grounds, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to back the allegations of certificate forgery, over-voting, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. Justice Benson Ogbudu, who read the lead judgment, described the allegations as unproven and speculative.

He stated that the evidence provided by the APM and SDP lacked probative value and failed to meet legal standards. The tribunal also ruled that the Action Alliance lacked the legal standing to challenge the election, having failed to present a valid candidate. Accusations of vote-buying and corruption were also dismissed for lack of credible proof.

Unhappy with the ruling, the aggrieved parties approached the appeal court. However, the appellate justices upheld the tribunal’s decision, ruling that the appellants could not prove how the alleged irregularities affected the outcome of the election across polling units and local government areas.

The court also pointed out that the parties abandoned their cases by failing to call credible witnesses to support their claims. Consequently, the court affirmed the election of Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, and awarded a total cost of N1.5 million against the appellants.

Reacting to the verdict, Governor Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude to God and the people of Ondo State for standing by him.

“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.

“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 back door, 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.”

The governor also appreciated his deputy, his legal team, and the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their unwavering support.