Ondo Governorship Tribunal Dismisses Petitions Against Aiyedatiwa’s Victory

The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure has dismissed all petitions challenging the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the November 16, 2024, governorship election.

In a judgment that lasted over eight hours on Wednesday, the three-member tribunal, led by Justice Benson Ogubu, described the petitions filed by five opposition parties—Action Alliance (AA), Allied People’s Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)—as worthless and baseless.

The PDP and its candidate, Alfred Agboola Ajayi, had challenged the qualification of Aiyedatiwa’s deputy, alleging that he forged a West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party argued that inconsistencies in names on three different documents should have rendered the APC ticket invalid, thereby affecting the governor’s eligibility.

The PDP also cited alleged widespread violations of Section 73(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, claiming that in 3,834 out of the state’s 3,933 polling units (97%), Form EC25B was not properly filled.

However, the tribunal struck out the allegations of certificate forgery, stating that the matter had already been resolved by the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court, and could not be relitigated. It noted that parties were bound by the decisions of higher courts.

The panel further ruled that issues of qualification are pre-election matters, which fall outside the jurisdiction of an election petition tribunal.

On the issue of Form EC25B, the tribunal held that there is no legal requirement for the entry of serial numbers, only the quantity of electoral materials distributed. It added that the petitioners failed to identify or properly demonstrate the relevant documents in court.

The tribunal also dismissed allegations of over-voting, stating that the petitioners failed to present BVAS machines or any certified data to support their claims.

With the dismissal of all petitions, Governor Aiyedatiwa’s election has been upheld.