Akure, Nigeria – The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing all five petitions filed against his election as “speculative, unsubstantiated, and lacking in merit.” In a unanimous judgment delivered on Wednesday, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Benson Ogbu, along with Justices Imelda Etiape and Daurabu Sikkam, ruled that the petitioners failed to prove claims of over-voting, vote-buying, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 beyond reasonable doubt.
The verdict affirms the declaration made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which had announced Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the November 16, 2024 governorship election.
Petitions Dismissed for Lack of Merit
The tribunal reviewed petitions filed by:
- People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Agboola Ajayi
- Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bamidele Akingboye
- Action Alliance (AA) and Abdullahi Olowokere
- Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Kolawole Ogunfeyimi
- African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Adeyemi Nejo
Each of the petitioners alleged irregularities ranging from non-compliance with electoral laws, corrupt practices, exclusion from the ballot, and fake academic qualifications of Aiyedatiwa’s running mate, Olayide Adelami.
However, the tribunal ruled:
- PDP’s claims on educational qualification were pre-election matters already decided by the Supreme Court.
- SDP and APM provided no material facts or credible evidence to back their claims of vote manipulation and corrupt practices.
- AA lacked locus standi, as it had no valid candidate on the ballot and should have pursued its case in a high court, not the tribunal.
- ADC’s petition was termed “still-born and dead on arrival”, with no link to specific polling units or evidence of malpractice.
Even expert testimony presented by the PDP was found to be unreliable, as the forensic witness could not substantiate his credentials or findings.
Tribunal: Elections Not Decided by Propaganda
Justice Ogbu, delivering the lead judgment, stressed that “elections are not determined by public opinion or propaganda but by facts and evidence.” He criticized the petitioners for wasting the tribunal’s time and public resources, saying they failed to meet the legal threshold to overturn the results.
Background
The Ondo gubernatorial race drew wide attention following Governor Aiyedatiwa’s emergence as APC’s candidate after the passing of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. INEC declared Aiyedatiwa winner of the November 2024 polls.
Wednesday’s ruling is expected to bolster the governor’s mandate and clear the path for his administration to proceed without legal distractions.
