Supreme Court upholds Aiyedatiwa’s victory, dismisses Ajayi’s suit

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi, challenging the legitimacy of Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s election as Ondo State governor.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Garba Lawal, the apex court threw out the appeal for being baseless, frivolous and lacking in merit.

It, therefore, upheld the concurrent judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal on the disputed qualifications matter.

Mr Ajayi had sought to nullify Aiyedatiwa’s victory, accusing the governor’s deputy, Owolabi Adelami of forgery, impersonation, and using a false identity.

However, both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal dismissed Ajayi’s case on procedural grounds, upholding Aiyedatiwa’s win.

Mr Ajayi’s legal challenge, filed on June 7, 2024, claimed that Adelami’s eligibility was compromised due to the alleged falsification of documents.

In the initial proceedings, the defendants, including Aiyedatiwa, Adelami, the APC, and INEC, argued that Ajayi lacked the legal standing to bring the suit and that the filing exceeded the 14-day window for such cases.

On December 2, 2024, the Federal High Court dismissed Ajayi’s case, ruling that the criminal accusations of forgery required more substantial evidence, which could not be presented through an originating summons.

The court also deemed the petition “statute-barred” as it was filed after the constitutionally mandated deadline.

This decision was unanimously upheld by the Court of Appeal on January 18, 2025, with a N500,000 fine imposed on Ajayi.

The latest apex court verdict has put to rest the long drawn legal battle over the Ondo State governorship poll.
NAN