Ondo 2024: Ajayi Loses Final Legal Battle As Supreme Court Backs Aiyedatiwa
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Agboola Ajayi, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 Ondo election, challenging the nomination of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, a five-member panel of the apex court upheld the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier thrown out Ajayi’s case on the grounds of lack of locus standi.
The justices maintained that the PDP candidate had no legal right to question the nomination of Aiyedatiwa and his running mate, Olayide Adelami, as candidates of the APC in the November 16, 2024 election.
Ajayi had approached the court to challenge Adelami’s eligibility, citing alleged inconsistencies in the names on the certificates he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
His counsel, M. Ndoka, argued that the variations in Adelami’s name rendered him unqualified to contest.
According to him, the deputy governorship candidate was identified with different name arrangements on his documents, including Adelami Owolabi Jackson and Adelami Olaide Owolabi, which he claimed amounted to a discrepancy.
Ajayi, therefore, prayed the court to disqualify the APC from participating in the election.
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However, Adelami’s legal representative, Remi Olatubora, countered the claims, explaining that the differences in name arrangements were not enough to suggest identity fraud.
He presented documents to show that Adelami’s West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate from 1974 bore Adelami Owolabi Jackson, while his university degree from Ambrose Alli University in 1982 listed him as Adelami Olaide Owolabi.
Olatubora further argued that Ajayi had no legal basis to challenge the nomination, citing Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates that only party members or primary election participants can file such suits.
Ajayi’s case was initially dismissed by the Federal High Court in Akure in December 2024, and his appeal suffered the same fate at the Court of Appeal in January 2025.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
