The Supreme Court upheld the decision to dismiss a lawsuit against Lucky Aiyedatiwa brought by Agboola Ajayi, the PDP’s candidate for governor in the 2024 Ondo election.
The appeal of Ajayi against the court of appeal’s verdict was dismissed by a five-member bench of the supreme court on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court ruled that Ajayi lacked the legal standing to contest the APC’s selection of Ondo State Governor Aiyedatiwa as its candidate for governor and Olayide Adelami as his running partner in the election scheduled for November 16, 2024.
The Case
Citing discrepancies in the names on the papers Adelami provided to INEC, Ajayi had petitioned the court to contest his eligibility.
Through his attorney, M. Ndoka, the PDP candidate informed the court that Adelami goes by a number of inconsistent identities, such as Olaide Owolabi Adelami and Adelami Owolabi Jackson.
According to Ajayi, Adelami was unable to run for office because of the disparities.
He requested that the court rule that the APC was unable to run for office, citing the lack of legitimately nominated candidates for the positions of governor and deputy governor.
Remi Olatubora, Adelami’s counsel, defended his client, claiming that the discrepancies were not the result of identity fraud but rather of variations in name arrangements.
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He produced documents demonstrating that Adelami was named Adelami Olaide Owolabi on his 1982 degree certificate from Ambrose Alli University, while his 1974 West African Examination Council (WAEC) diploma showed him as Adelami Owolabi Jackson.
According to him, the plaintiff’s complaint is about the sequence or arrangement of the names rather than the differences in their names.
Citing section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022, which limits such legal challenges to party members or participants in the APC primary election, Olatubora also contended that Ajayi lacked the authority to file the action.
In December 2024, a federal high court in Akure first dismissed Ajayi’s lawsuit.
In January 2025, the Court of Appeal in Akure upheld the lower court’s decision and dismissed the lawsuit.
The legal fight against Aiyedatiwa’s nomination has officially ended with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
