The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November 16, 2024, governorship election in Ondo State, Mr Agboola Ajayi, has announced his withdrawal from the appeal filed at the Supreme Court against the winner of the election, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
It can be recalled that PUNCH Online reported on December 11 2024, that Ajayi said he had filed a petition at the Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal against the victory of Aiyedatiwa. This development came 24 days after the governorship poll.
Ajayi had disclosed that his legal team had filed the petition at the election tribunal with the hope of getting justice from the court.
Ajayi of the PDP, according to the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, lost the election to the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Governor Aiyedatiwa, having scored a total of 117,845 votes behind the governor, who polled 366,781 votes.
He moved forward to challenge the results of the election but lost at both the Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal , and later proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the verdicts of the lower court.
However, he announced his withdrawal from the litigation in a letter addressed to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court in Abuja and dated September 16, 2025. The letter was made available to our correspondent on Wednesday.
In the letter, the former PDP governorship candidate did not mention the main reason for his action but stated that he had consulted the stakeholders who had consented to the move.
The letter was titled, āRE: SC/CV/757/2025 ā Mr Ajayi Alfred Agboola & Anor V. Independent National Electoral Commission & 3ORS.ā
It read, āI am the āAppellantā in the above appeal, and I write to inform you that I am aware of the appeal that has been filed on my behalf concerning the recent gubernatorial election in Ondo State.
āAs the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, I have engaged in thoughtful discussions with my family, party members, associates, and legal advisors. After careful deliberation, we have reached a consensus that the appeal should be withdrawn, and Iām signing this letter to do so.
āHaving served as the former Deputy Governor and as a representative of my constituents at the national level, my foremost commitment is to the principles of good governance and the promotion of peaceful coexistence in Ondo State and across Nigeria.
āIn this spirit, I extend my heartfelt wishes to His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Alyedatiwa as he leads our state, and I remain dedicated to contributing positively to the State and National development.
āThank you for your understanding and attention to this matter. I trust that my position will be respectfully acknowledged.ā
More details laterā¦
