Ajayi heads to court as Aiyedatiwa gets Certificate of Return

Four days after the governorship election in Ondo State was concluded, the major opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, has expressed its readiness to challenge the outcome of the election in court citing irregularities during the poll.

The development comes as the governor-elect of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is set to receive his Certificate of Return today.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had on Sunday declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Aiyedatiwa, as the winner of the election held in the state on Saturday.

APC’s Aiyedatiwa defeated Agboola Ajayi of the PDP and 15 other candidates to retain his position as the number one of the Sunshine State.

The APC governorship candidate and incumbent governor of the state trounced his opponents in the 18 local government areas of the state.

In the final declaration of the result, the state Returning Officer, Olayemi Akinwumi, said Aiyedatiwa polled a total of 366,781 votes to defeat Ajayi of PDP, who got 117,845 votes.

The Returning Officer said, “That Ayedatiwa Lucky Orimisan of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby returned elected.”

According to the electoral body, 17 political parties participated in the off-cycle election, which was meant to usher in a new administration in the state from February 23, 2025.

However, the PDP, in its Tuesday statement issued by the Special Adviser to its governorship candidate, Ayo Fadaka, vowed that the PDP would take legal action in its quest for justice.

The statement read, “We have uncovered lots of actions undertaken to compromise the electoral desires of the people and sadly conclude that democracy cannot thrive in an environment where unabated criminality is perpetually perpetrated in the prosecution of an election by the agency (INEC) saddled with the onerous and sacred responsibility to protect our franchise and deliver its mandate at the end of every election.

“The November 16 election, like every other election conducted by INEC since APC assumed power in 2015, continues in the tradition of hijacking the process and delivering results that are diametrically in contrast with expressed electoral desires, thus resulting in promoting voters apathy and total disenchantment with the electoral process.

“While not divulging the nature and extent of the results of our investigations for now, our only prayer is that those who possess the privileges to determine the fate of people and nation should begin to live up to expectations and fear God, in the interest of our nation, it’s wellness, peace and tranquility, else they be reduced to same level of criminals and bandits who continuously lay landmines that undermine the progress of our nation.”

The party called on the judiciary to guarantee the “portability of justice to people and institutions that seek it, the nation and people will appreciate that.”

The statement added, “Nigeria is currently described as a failed state, it is our prayers that it is revived, rebirthed and resounding again as a nation that will not only hold promises of a better day for its people, but actually deliver on same. Thus, honesty must propel institutions and government; else revolt will one day dictate unwholesome developments that will portend dire consequences.

“In summary, we reject the results of the November 16 election and will take legal actions to reverse the debauchery, that is the option available to us and we are hopeful that man and God, who is the ultimate, will give us justice. It is time we begin to eschew criminality from our electoral process.”

The Social Democratic Party also rejected the results of Saturday’s poll declaring Aiyedatiwa winner.

Speaking with journalists on Monday in Akure, the state capital, the SDP chairman in Ondo, Gbenga Akinbuli, said there was harassment and intimidation of the party’s agents while the people were also not allowed to vote in many polling units amid alleged massive vote-buying.

Also, the Publicity Secretary of the party, Adeniyi Iwakun, said no election was held on Saturday.

He emphasised that the party had taken a position on the election, that it should be cancelled, claiming that the Certificate of Return that would be presented to Governor Aiyedatiwa today was abnormal.

He said, “By our own assessment, there was no election in the state. When people are being bought — part of the electoral act is that it is criminal for votes to be bought. Votes were openly traded in the presence of security agents who had already been compromised. As a political party, we rejected the result, we rejected the election, and we are calling for cancellation. So, it is a pariah victory — a victory that deserves no celebration.

“If he (Aiyedatiwa) is going to take a Certificate of Return, it is rather a certificate of shame. Because when the government has performed, you don’t need to induce people for you to be voted into power again. People will contribute to your election; people will contribute for your campaign.

“Sometimes, it can be applicable to the last election. There is no jubilation on the streets of the state. Everybody knows they have entered another ‘one chance.’ The government that has been on ground for over 10 months has not even had any power. We are talking about the current government. So, for us, it is a certificate of shame he is collecting, not a Certificate of Return. Or possibly, we call it a certificate of return to shame because it is a pariah victory, something that was bought. That is the position of our political party.”