𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗢 𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗢𝗥 𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗬 𝗔𝗜𝗬𝗘𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗪𝗔 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗠 𝗜𝗡 2028

A Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has ruled that the current governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is not eligible to contest for another term in the 2028 governorship election.

The ruling, delivered by the court after hearing arguments surrounding constitutional interpretation, stated that allowing the governor to run again in 2028 would violate the constitutional limit on the number of years a person can serve as governor.

The legal dispute arose from questions about the tenure of Governor Aiyedatiwa, who assumed office in December 2023 following the death of the former Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu. At the time, Aiyedatiwa was serving as deputy governor before taking over the leadership of the state.

He later contested and won the governorship election, after which he was sworn in to continue leading the state.

However, a suit was filed before the court seeking clarification on whether the period he had already spent in office after Akeredolu’s death should count as part of the constitutional two-term limit allowed for governors in Nigeria.

In its judgment, the court held that considering the time already spent in office, allowing Aiyedatiwa to contest again in 2028 would exceed the constitutional limit permitted for a governor under Nigerian law.

The decision has sparked political discussions across Ondo State and beyond, as it could have significant implications for the political landscape ahead of the 2028 governorship election.

Despite the ruling, legal experts note that the judgment may not necessarily be the final chapter in the matter. Governor Aiyedatiwa still has the legal option of challenging the verdict at the Court of Appeal and possibly the Supreme Court if he chooses to pursue further legal action.

As the situation unfolds, political observers are closely watching how the governor and his legal team will respond to the ruling, as well as the potential impact it may have on the future political direction of Ondo State.

Source : Punch News