— PDP, Others’ Appeals Dismissed for Lack of Merit
— Governor Hails Judiciary, Thanks Ondo People
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure on Thursday, July 31, 2025, affirmed the election of Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and Dr. Olayide Adelami as the duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Ondo State.
The appellate court dismissed the appeals filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied People’s Movement (APM), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), challenging the June 4, 2025, judgment of the Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which upheld the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates.
In a unanimous decision, the three-member panel comprising Justices Nimpar Yargata, K.I. Amadi, and I.M. Sani, struck out the appeals one after the other for lacking merit and failing to prove allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The court held that the appellants could not substantiate their claims of irregularities, nor did they show how the alleged infractions affected the election results across polling units, wards, and local government areas.
It further ruled that the appellants effectively abandoned their petitions by failing to call credible witnesses to support their allegations of widespread malpractice.
The Court of Appeal affirmed the earlier judgment of the tribunal and upheld the declaration of Aiyedatiwa and Adelami as the validly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Ondo State. It also awarded a total cost of N1.5 million against the appellants.
Reacting to the judgment, Governor Aiyedatiwa described the verdict as a welcome development and commended the Appeal Court Justices for their thorough and impartial review of the cases.
“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,” the Governor said.
He continued: “That mandate was validated by the tribunal and has now been reaffirmed by the Court of Appeal. While some political parties attempted to overturn the people’s decision through the backdoor, the judiciary has upheld the will of the majority across the 18 local government areas.”
Governor Aiyedatiwa also expressed gratitude to his deputy, legal team, APC leaders, and party members for their unwavering support throughout the legal process.
