By Esi-ife Arogundade

The Supreme Court today 17th September, 2025, confirmed the election of Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, by dismissing all the three appeals filed against his victory at the polls by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Social Democratic Party, SDP and All Peoples Movement, APM. When the appeals came up for hearing today, Mr Reuben Egwuaba, represented PDP, Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, SAN represented INEC, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN represented Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa along with Dr. Remi Olutubora, SAN and Kolawole Olowookere, SAN. Chief Hakeem Afolabi, SAN represented the Deputy Governor, Olayide Owolabi Adelami appearing with Chief S.O. Ajayi, SAN, Omosanya Popoola, SAN and Idris Abubakar, SAN, while Chief Olusola Oke, SAN appeared for the All Progressives Congress, APC, together with Dr. Olajide Ajana, SAN, Professor Abdulkareem Kana, SAN and Dr. Ajibola Bashiru, APC National Secretary.

When the cases were called, counsel to the PDP and its governorship candidate, Mr. Alfred Agboola Ajayi, Mr. Reuben Egwuaba, informed the court that he received instructions from his clients to withdraw the appeal whereupon he filed a Notice of Withdrawal of Appeal dated 16th September 2025. Counsel to SDP, Mr Adewole Adebayo informed the court that the 1st Respondent in the appeal, Otunba Bamidele Akingboye, who was the governorship candidate of the party in the election, died on 13th August, 2025. He therefore applied to withdraw the appeal. He also, as counsel to APM, applied to withdraw the appeal on the ground that it was unmeritorious.

The respondents did not oppose the applications to withdraw the appeals but they complained to the Court of the frivolity of the appeals, the time and money spent to defend them and the waste of precious judicial time. Upon listening to all counsel to the parties, the Supreme Court panel, presided over by Honourable Justice Inyang Okoro, expressed the frustration of the apex court over frivolous appeals that have congested the docket of the court. He stated that but for the fact that PDP had withdrawn its appeal and the death of the governorship candidate of the SDP, the court would have descended heavily on counsel and the appellants for wasting the judicial time of their Lordships who had to go through the bundle of records and briefs of arguments on matters for which the court had long settled all the legal issues raised in the appeals. He stated for instance that the APM was prosecuting an appeal in a case in which it calle only one witness to prove its election petition in an election that was held in 18 local governments and more than 3000 polling units. The Court admonished counsel not to file such appeals in future since the law is well settled on the issues raised. The court thereafter dismissed all the appeals.

Commenting on the development in the cases, lead counsel to the Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, stated as follows:

“I commend the Supreme Court for its proactive stand in identifying frivolous cases for dismissal and for making out time to set the appeals for hearing during the court’s long vacation because of the constitutional timeline set for the hearing of the appeals. I also salute the industry that the court has displayed in determining the number of cases listed on a daily basis, given the workload of the apex court. I call for a robust overhaul of our laws and the rules of ethics so that there will be consequences for these frivolities.

Now that the judiciary through the apex court has confirmed the mandate given to the Governor by the good people of Ondo State, it is time to hit the ground running to bring speedy development to the State and to deliver on his campaign promises. All is well that ends well.”