Ondo: Aiyedatiwa loses appeal against suit challenging his eligibility for re-election

Aiyedatiwa

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja on Monday, dismissed an appeal filed by the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, challenging an amendment to a suit aimed at barring him from seeking re-election in 2028. The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, held that the appeal lacked merit and awarded costs of N2 million against Governor Aiyedatiwa. In the lead judgement delivered by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, the court held that the appellant failed to establish that the Federal High Court in Akure denied him a fair hearing when it exercised its discretion to grant leave to amend the suit against him.

It further held that the governor was unable to prove that the trial court’s discretion was based on a wrong legal principle.

The appellate court affirmed the Federal High Court’s ruling of November 24, 2025, which allowed amendment of the originating summons filed against the Ondo State governor.

It will be recalled that Aiyedatiwa was first sworn in on December 27, 2024, to complete the tenure of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

He was subsequently inaugurated for a second time on February 24, 2025, following his victory in the state’s governorship election.

Although Aiyedatiwa has yet to indicate interest in running again, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, approached the court in July 2025.

Egbuwalo insisted that Aiyedatiwa is not eligible to recontest in 2028, having already taken the oath of office twice. Vanguard