By Abiola Olawale
The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Tuesday dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi, seeking to nullify the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State.
This development is said to have left the PDp and its candidate politically devastated.
In nullifying Ajayi’s petition, the apex court described the petition as lacking in merit, thereby affirming Aiyedatiwa’s victory in the November 16, 2024, governorship election.
The PDP and Ajayi had challenged Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility, alleging irregularities in his nomination process and accusing his deputy, Olayide Owolabi Adelami, of forgery and impersonation.
However, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Garba Lawal, upheld the concurrent judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which had earlier dismissed the case on procedural grounds.
The lower courts had ruled that the petition was statute-barred, having been filed outside the mandatory 14-day window for pre-election disputes and that Ajayi lacked the legal standing to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate’s nomination.
Justice Lawal, in his lead judgment, emphasized that the allegations of forgery required substantial evidence, which the petitioners failed to provide through the originating summons used to file the case.
The court also imposed a fine of ₦500,000 on Ajayi for what it termed a “frivolous” suit, bringing an end to the protracted legal battle over the Ondo State governorship election.
Recall that Aiyedatiwa secured 366,781 votes to defeat Ajayi’s 117,845 in the election.
