On Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected the petition that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate for governor, Agboola Ajayi, had filed, contesting Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s right to run in the November 16, 2024, gubernatorial election.
The Supreme Court reportedly confirmed the decisions of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal in a unanimous vote, calling the appeal meritless, frivolous, and without foundation.
In his lead ruling, Justice Garba Lawal dismissed the case against Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy and reiterated that the previous courts had made the right decision.
Aiyedatiwa’s running mate, Olayide Owolabi Adelami, was accused by Ajayi and the PDP of document forgery, impersonation, and falsification in their attempt to disqualify him.
But the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal had previously dismissed Ajayi’s lawsuit on procedural grounds, arguing that there was insufficient evidence.
Legal Conflict Comes to an End At the Supreme Court
Initially filed on June 7, 2024, Ajayi’s lawsuit claimed Adelami’s credentials were phony. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adelami, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Aiyedatiwa were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
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Because the lawsuit was brought beyond the 14-day constitutional window for pre-election issues, the respondents contended that Ajayi lacked the legal standing to bring it and that it was time-barred.
The case was rejected on December 2, 2024, by the Federal High Court, which ruled that the initial summons was insufficient to determine the criminal forgery claims, which required substantial proof.
The suit missed the legally mandated time, the court further decided, making it statute-barred.
After that, on January 18, 2025, the Court of Appeal affirmed the High Court’s ruling and fined Ajayi ₦500,000 for bringing a baseless lawsuit.
With the recent Supreme Court decision, the protracted legal dispute about Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility has finally been resolved.
