The political drama in Ondo State is far from over, as Agboola Ajayi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 16 governorship election, has vowed to appeal the tribunal’s ruling that affirmed the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a strongly-worded statement released in Akure yesterday, Ajayi rejected the decision of the three-man panel led by Justice Benson Ogubu, describing it as unjust and riddled with inconsistencies. He revealed plans to take the battle to the Court of Appeal, insisting that the PDP is still very much in the fight for what it believes is electoral justice.

A Quick Recap: What the Tribunal Ruled

The tribunal had on Wednesday dismissed Ajayi’s petition challenging the election results, stating that the PDP failed to present credible and sufficient evidence of electoral malpractice, irregularities, and over-voting.

According to the tribunal, Governor Aiyedatiwa, who secured 366,781 votes, was validly elected, defeating Ajayi who garnered 117,845 votes.

In the words of the panel, Ajayi’s case “lacked merit”, and his legal team “failed woefully” to prove the claims made in their petition.

Ajayi Responds: “We’re Disappointed but Not Done”

Ajayi, however, isn’t backing down. In his statement, he expressed disappointment with the judgment and pointed to what he called “glaring inconsistencies” in how the tribunal handled key evidence and exhibits.

“Due cognisance and rapt attention has been accorded to the kernel on which the Justices based their findings and conclusion,” he said. “In our opinion, this did not accord proper analysis to the details of the evidence submitted to the tribunal.”

Despite the setback, Ajayi emphasized that the PDP remains committed to pursuing justice through constitutional channels and won’t be discouraged by what he described as the current challenges in Nigeria’s judicial system.

“We didn’t get justice at this level, but we are undeterred. Justice must be served, and integrity must be restored to our electoral process.”

APC Hits Back, Calls Ajayi’s Reaction “Reckless”

Meanwhile, the ruling APC in the state has slammed Ajayi, labeling his comments as “reckless and baseless.” The party insists that the election was free, fair, and reflective of the people’s will, and that the tribunal's decision simply reaffirmed that fact.

What’s Next?

With Ajayi heading to the Court of Appeal, the legal battle is entering its next chapter. As the PDP prepares to file its appeal, political observers are watching closely to see if the higher court will view the evidence differently—or if Aiyedatiwa’s victory will continue to hold strong.

Either way, Ondo politics is heating up again, and the legal fireworks are far from over.