Court Bars Aiyedatiwa from 2028 Governorship Race
A Federal High Court sitting in Akure has ruled that the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, cannot contest the 2028 governorship election on the grounds that doing so would violate the constitutional limit on tenure.
Delivering judgment, Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke held that Aiyedatiwa’s time in office must be counted from his first swearing-in following the death of former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu. The court ruled that the period he spent completing Akeredolu’s term forms part of the constitutionally permitted eight years in office.
The judge explained that Aiyedatiwa’s two separate swearing-ins—first as governor to complete Akeredolu’s tenure and later after winning the 2024 governorship election—must be treated cumulatively under the Constitution. According to the court, allowing him to contest again in 2028 would effectively extend his stay in office beyond the maximum period allowed for a state governor.
Justice Adegoke therefore held that the constitutional provisions on tenure are clear and binding, and that any interpretation permitting Aiyedatiwa to seek another term in 2028 would contradict the intent of the law.
The court also dismissed preliminary objections filed by Aiyedatiwa, his deputy, and the All Progressives Congress, which had challenged the competence of the suit. The judge ruled that the case was properly brought before the court and that the issues raised were valid for judicial determination.
With the ruling, the court affirmed that Aiyedatiwa’s current tenure—covering the remainder of Akeredolu’s term and the mandate he secured in the 2024 election—counts toward the constitutional eight-year limit for governors. The decision effectively bars him from seeking re-election in the 2028 Ondo State governorship poll.
