The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed three separate petitions challenging the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, describing them as lacking in merit and unsupported by credible evidence.
The Action Alliance (AA), Allied People’s Movement (APM), and Social Democratic Party (SDP) had approached the tribunal to nullify the outcome of the 16 November 2024 gubernatorial poll, but their cases were thrown out in a series of unanimous rulings delivered by the panel sitting in Akure.
“This tribunal finds no legal basis to entertain the petition of the Action Alliance, as the party did not present a candidate during the election,” said the lead judge, Imelda Etiape, while delivering judgement on the AA’s petition. The judgment was supported by Justices Daurabu Sikkam and Benson Ogubu.
AA and its National Chairman, Adekunle Omoaje, had accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of excluding their party’s logo from the ballot paper. But the tribunal ruled that the claim of unlawful exclusion no longer holds legal weight under the 2010 Electoral Act, which repealed that ground for election disputes.
“The petition fails fundamentally,” Etiape ruled. “A political party that did not sponsor a candidate has no locus to challenge the outcome of an election.”
On claims of vote buying and electoral irregularities, the tribunal concluded that the petitioners provided no verifiable evidence to prove their allegations. It, however, declined to award costs against the AA.
In the second judgement, Justice Benson Ogubu dismissed the APM’s petition for being “riddled with generalised allegations, without material facts or credible evidence.” He noted that claims of over-voting, corrupt practices, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act were not substantiated.
“The written statement of APM’s sole witness lacked probative value and failed to reveal the source of information,” Ogubu held. “This tribunal cannot rely on speculation or conjecture.”
The APM’s petition was also dismissed, with parties asked to bear their own legal expenses.
Similarly, the SDP’s petition was struck out for failing to provide substantial facts. The tribunal ruled that the claims were based on hearsay and propaganda, with no concrete proof to justify any of the reliefs sought.
“The petition was a waste of judicial time and lacked any legal merit,” the panel ruled.
The ruling marks a significant political boost for Governor Aiyedatiwa, who was inaugurated on 24 February 2025 and is currently marking 100 days in office. His election was affirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the tribunal, while the opposition parties failed to upturn the result through legal means.
