AIyedatiwa
Ola Wale
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s bid to amend a suit challenging his eligibility for re-election in 2028 has been rejected by the Court of Appeal in Abuja. The court upheld the Federal High Court’s decision to allow the plaintiff, Akindele Egbuwalo, to amend the originating summons.
The suit, filed by Egbuwalo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), seeks to determine whether Aiyedatiwa is eligible to contest the 2028 governorship election, given that he has already taken the oath of office twice. Aiyedatiwa was first sworn in on December 27, 2024, to complete the tenure of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and later inaugurated for a second time on February 24, 2025, after winning the state governorship election .
The plaintiff argues that Aiyedatiwa’s re-election bid is in contravention of Sections 137(3) and 182(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulate that a person sworn in to complete another’s tenure can only be elected to the same office for a maximum of one additional term.
Aiyedatiwa’s appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which held that the governor failed to establish that the trial court denied him a fair hearing or relied on a wrong legal principle. The court awarded costs of N2 million against Aiyedatiwa .
The defendants in the case, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the APC, had argued that the suit was premature, as INEC had not released the timetable for the Ondo governorship election and Aiyedatiwa had not indicated any intention to contest.
The Court of Appeal’s decision means that the suit will proceed to trial, where the court will determine Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
The outcome of this case has significant implications for Aiyedatiwa’s political future and the governorship of Ondo State.
