Court Rules Ondo Governor Aiyedatiwa Ineligible for 2028

A Federal High Court in Akure, Ondo State, ruled on Thursday that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is ineligible to contest the 2028 governorship election, citing constitutional limits on tenure for officials who complete a predecessor's term. The decision, delivered by Justice Toyin Adegoke, interprets sections of the 1999 Constitution to prevent Aiyedatiwa from serving more than eight years in total, following his swearing-in on December 27, 2023, to finish the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu's term and his subsequent victory in the November 16, 2024, election, with inauguration on February 24, 2025.

The lawsuit, filed in July 2025 by All Progressives Congress chieftain Dr. Akin Egbuwalo through counsel Chief Adeniyi Akintola, sought clarification on Aiyedatiwa's eligibility under Section 137(3) and Section 182(3) of the Constitution. These provisions state that a person who completes another official's term may only be elected once more to the position. The court rejected arguments that the case was speculative, affirming its jurisdiction to interpret constitutional matters and referencing a Supreme Court precedent in Marwa v. Nyako, which upholds the eight-year maximum for elected...