Court will decide my 2028 move — Aiyedatiwa

The Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has addressed the controversy surrounding the constitutional position on his eligibility to contest for a second term in the 2028 governorship election in the state.

Aiyedatiwa was first sworn in as governor in December 2023 following the death of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

He was sworn in again in February 2025 after winning the state governorship election.

However, there have been arguments that constitutionally he cannot be sworn in for a third time.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Dr Akin Egbuwalo, had earlier filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking the interpretation of Section 137(3) of the Constitution regarding the eligibility of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, to contest for another term in office.

The judgment was initially scheduled to be delivered on January 28.

However, before the lower court could deliver its judgment, the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure suspended the ruling pending the determination of an appeal before the appellate court.

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Speaking with selected broadcast media houses on Friday night at the Government House in Akure, Governor Aiyedatiwa said he would await the court’s verdict on the matter when the time comes.

He said, “Why should I be taken to court in the first place when the constitution guarantees immunity for me? It’s only on electoral matters that you can take me to court. If I conduct an election and maybe I win the election, as you are saying it was full of substantial irregularity, you can challenge that. But the Supreme Court has ruled that on my election, I was duly elected.

“I’m sworn in one month after, somebody filed a case on something that is futuristic. Where is that happening?

“I’m a sitting governor that has immunity, why do you take me to court? So all of that will be decided because I have not told anybody that I’m running an election in 2028.

“An election is a process. You first of all show interest, expression of interest, there will have to be a timetable first by the party and then the electoral umpire. All the timetables that have been displayed so far, there is no governorship election from those states.

“So on what basis are you now taking me to court, challenging something futuristic? And then a sitting governor with immunity.

“But all of this is not an issue to be even discussed right now. Some can discuss it because of their own selfish interests. Right now, because the election programme has not started, it is not a pre-election matter. I have immunity. Let the court decide what that will be.”

Aiyedatiwa argued that any legal challenge regarding his eligibility to contest again could only arise when the electoral process begins.

“Wait until that time when I come out that I want to run, then you can take me to court,” he said.

On the just-concluded congresses of the APC in the state, the governor said they were held peacefully but their results had not yet been officially announced by the party.

“We had our congress at the ward level, the local government and at the state. All of that has been done, but the party will eventually release the result because that has not been announced,” he said.

Refuting reports in some quarters that the congresses had further caused division within the party, Governor Aiyedatiwa reiterated that the APC in the state remained united despite grievances among members.

“APC is one in Ondo State. We are not divided. But interests differ when it comes to political positions. That is politics,” he declared.