- Tribunal earlier dismissed all petitions citing lack of merit, evidence and legal standing by some opposition political parties.
- Aiyedatiwa thanks APC leaders, legal team and Ondo people for support as he celebrates affirmation of electoral victory.
The court of appeal sitting in Akure has upheld the election of the governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The appellate court dismissed various appeals filed against the outcome of the November 16, 2024, governorship election.
A three-member panel of justices struck out the petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, Allied Peoples Movement, Social Democratic Party and Action Alliance.
The appeal followed the June 4 decision of the Ondo State election petition tribunal which threw out the petitions against Aiyedatiwa’s victory.
The tribunal had ruled that the petitions lacked merit and the petitioners failed to provide credible and sufficient evidence.
Justice Benson Ogubu, who delivered the lead judgment at the tribunal, said allegations of forgery, over-voting and non-compliance were unproven.
He noted that the evidence from APM and SDP lacked probative value and was hinged on assumptions rather than facts.
He added that the Action Alliance had no legal standing to challenge the result, having not presented any candidate in the election.
Claims of vote-buying and electoral corruption were also dismissed for lacking substantial proof.
Unconvinced, the political parties filed an appeal at the appellate court.
However, the court of appeal upheld the decision of the tribunal and ruled against the appellants.
The justices said the appellants failed to prove how the alleged irregularities impacted the outcome of the election in any unit, ward or council.
The court also ruled that the political parties abandoned their petitions as they failed to call credible witnesses before the tribunal.
The appeal court further confirmed Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, as the duly elected governor and deputy governor of the state.
The panel awarded a cost of ₦1.5 million against the appellants.
Reacting to the ruling, Aiyedatiwa said the decision of the appeal court confirmed the people’s mandate.
“I give glory to almighty God who orchestrated this journey from the beginning and used the good people of Ondo State,” he said.
“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 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.”
Aiyedatiwa also thanked his deputy, legal team, party leaders and supporters for standing by him throughout the legal process.
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