Aiyedatiwa Defends Eligibility for Ondo 2028 Governorship Election

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has passionately defended his eligibility to contest for a second term as Governor of Ondo State in the 2028 governorship election.

Amidst rising controversy regarding his constitutional standing, Starnews NG reports that Aiyedatiwa set the record straight during media chats with selected journalists from various broadcast outlets on Friday night at the Government House in Akure, Ondo State.

Aiyedatiwa questioned the motivation behind the legal action taken against him by a party member to determine his eligibility for the 2028 governorship election, especially at a time when he has not yet completed a year in office as an elected governor. He criticised the legitimacy of such a legal challenge, asserting that he is protected by immunity from court cases as a sitting governor.

Reflecting on the puzzling timing of the legal challenges against him, Aiyedatiwa expressed his bewilderment. “I was sworn in one month after my election, and suddenly, someone files a case regarding something that is futuristic. Where is that happening?” he questioned, reinforcing his position as a sitting governor entitled to legal protection.

“Why should I be taken to court in the first place when the constitution guarantees immunity for me?” he remarked. He expressed the view that discussions surrounding his candidacy are premature, noting, “I have not told anybody that I’m running for the election in 2028. An election is a process that begins with an expression of interest, followed by a timetable from the party and the electoral umpire. Currently, there is no governorship election on the displayed timetables.”

The governor dismissed the ongoing legal disputes as driven by “selfish interests,” stating that they are not relevant at this moment since the election programme has yet to commence. “Let the court decide what will be,” he urged, maintaining that any legal challenge should only arise once he officially announces his candidacy.

He remains resolute, confident that the law is on his side and that the current legal challenges will not impede his governance or future political aspirations. He asserted that the court will set the record straight, as he claimed that lawyers have provided differing interpretations regarding the section of the constitution related to his oath of office as a state governor.

According to him, several lawyers have expressed differing views on whether completing a short unexpired tenure should automatically count as a full term. He mentioned having read various opinions from legal analysts and commentators on the matter, as the debate continues to generate public interest.

Aiyedatiwa added that some individuals have raised questions about how the law should treat a situation where a governor completes only a small portion of a predecessor’s tenure. “A lawyer rightly stated that I cannot run for office for more than one term, which is clearly stated, and then there’s the aspect of taking an oath three times. You see, different lawyers argue differently about this matter.

“I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t want to delve into legal discussions, but I’ve heard various opinions because I am the person in question. I’ve read different kinds of commentary from various commentators. Someone asked: if that unexpired tenure is two months, will you count that as a term? If it is one week, will you count that as a term? Those are the issues.

“Now, regarding the ‘taking oath’ matter, someone also mentioned that the oath taken was not as an elected official and that the act refers to someone not being elected three times. That is the spirit of the argument.” The governor noted that some commentators have questioned whether a very short unexpired tenure, such as two months or even one week, should be regarded as a full term under the constitution.

He explained that there are interpretations suggesting that the constitutional provision primarily focuses on elections rather than merely taking the oath of office. He posited that some legal analysts believe the intention of the law is to prevent a person from being elected governor three times, rather than strictly counting the number of times the oath of office is administered.

Since his initial swearing-in as governor in December 2023, following the untimely passing of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and his subsequent victory in the February 2025 governorship election, Aiyedatiwa’s tenure has been subjected to intense debate in Ondo State. Many observers assert that he cannot run for another election having taken the oath of office twice as a sitting governor.

Starnews NG reports that Dr Akin Egbuwalo, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state, had earlier filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Akure to seek the interpretation of Section 137(3) of the constitution on the eligibility of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, to contest for another term in office.

The judgment which was slated for judgement on January 28, 2026, was halted by the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure pending the determination of an appeal before the appellate court.