The Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, dismissed case number SC/CV/106/2025—Agboola Ajayi & Anor v. Olayide Owolabi Adelami & Ors—and awarded costs of ₦2 million in favour of each respondent against the appellants.
In a landmark judgment, the apex court rejected the legal challenge filed by former Ondo State Deputy Governor and PDP governorship candidate in the November 16, 2024 election, Chief Agboola Alfred Ajayi.
The Supreme Court ruled that the appellants lacked the locus standi (legal standing) to pursue the case, rendering the appeal unsustainable. Additionally, the court affirmed that the suit was statute-barred, upholding the decisions of the lower courts. It emphasized that the cause of action arose on May 20, 2024, when the nomination forms were submitted to INEC, whereas the appellants filed their suit at the Federal High Court on June 7, 2024—beyond the 14-day limit prescribed by law. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and Ajayi was ordered to pay ₦2 million in costs to each of the four respondents.
Ajayi had sought to nullify the election of Deputy Governor Dr. Olayide Owolabi Adelami over alleged discrepancies in his name change. He also challenged the legitimacy of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the case.
His argument centered on the claim that Adelami, who previously had “Jackson” as his middle name in secondary school, changed it to “Owolabi” without proper documentation. However, the Supreme Court found no legal basis for disqualifying the deputy governor on these grounds, stating that properly documented name changes do not constitute electoral fraud or grounds for disqualification.
Having resolved the jurisdictional issues against the appellants, the court held that its findings were sufficient to dismiss the appeal. Accordingly, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the appeal lacked merit and dismissed it in its entirety.
