The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Akure, has upheld the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing multiple petitions challenging his victory in the November 16, 2024, polls.
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday and lasting over eight hours, the three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Benson Ogubu, struck out the petition filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Agboola Ajayi.
The PDP candidate in his petition had alleged widespread irregularities and called for the cancellation of the election results.
The tribunal also dismissed similar petitions brought by other political parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), and African Alliance (AA), all of which contested the legitimacy of the poll.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who ran under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after securing victory in all 18 local government areas of the state.
He polled a total of 366,781 votes to defeat his closest challengers, including Ajayi of the PDP.
With this ruling, the tribunal affirmed Aiyedatiwa’s mandate as the duly elected governor of Ondo State, effectively bringing an end to the legal disputes surrounding the 2024 governorship election.
