The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal has upheld Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s election victory while dismissing petitions from the Peoples Democratic Party and four other political parties.
The panel issued its ruling on Wednesday evening. It was confirmed that Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress won the governorship election on November 16, 2024, with 366,781 votes.
The PDP, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, Allied Peoples’ Movement, and African Democratic Congress all challenged the outcome.
They stated that the election was marred by anomalies such as overvoting, multiple thumbprinting, and the breakdown of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
The three-man panel, led by Justice Benson Ogbu, however, ruled unanimously that the petitions were without merit.
“The petitioners failed to provide enough evidence. Their claims were weak, lacked seriousness, and could not stand in court,” the tribunal said.
The court specifically ruled that the PDP and its candidate, Agboola Ajayi, were unable to substantiate their case.
The panel stated that they made significant charges but did not provide convincing proof.
“There is no way the tribunal can confirm non-compliance with the law when no clear proof was shown,” the judges said.
The tribunal added that Ajayi “failed woefully” to show that electoral irregularities affected the outcome of the election.
In reaction to the judgement, 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 judgement and review it,” he said.
In his own reaction, Aiyedatiwa thanked God and the people of Ondo State, and he urged opposition members to join his government in building 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.
Aiyedatiwa also called on those who lost to work with his team.
“We are ready to work with everyone. From the day I was declared winner, I invited others to bring their ideas so we can build Ondo together,” he said.
