A Report by an Ondo based Group by Sunshine Centre for Justice and Development has faulted recent claims that the PDP Candidate in the last Ondo State Governorship election, Honorable Agboola Ajayi, withdrew his Petition against the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa from the Supreme Court, on the ground of Patriotism.
In a dramatic twist less than 24 hours before the Supreme Court was billed to deliver judgment on the keenly followed governorship dispute in Ondo State, Hon. Agboola Alfred Ajayi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 2024 gubernatorial election, suddenly announced the withdrawal of his appeal against the victory of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
The decision, though dressed in the robes of patriotism, has sent shockwaves across political and legal circles, with fresh revelations now emerging about the controversial legal journey Ajayi embarked upon since his defeat at the polls, and the desperate behind-the-scenes efforts to manipulate the judicial process in his favour.
From Tribunal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, it was A Desperate Odyssey. The November 2024 election in Ondo State produced a clear and overwhelming victory for Governor Aiyedatiwa, who coasted to power with a margin that observers described as “undisputable.” But Agboola Ajayi, former Deputy Governor of the state and PDP flagbearer, refused to concede.
Within weeks, he approached the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, citing alleged irregularities and demanding the nullification of Aiyedatiwa’s victory. When the tribunal dismissed his petition for lack of merit, Ajayi swiftly proceeded to the Court of Appeal. Recall, that it wasn’t the first time that Ajayi desperately approached the court, to sabotage the electoral victory of Aiyedatiwa, having earlier dragged the then candidate Aiyedatiwa and his running mate, Dr Olaide Adelami before the high court through to the Supreme Court, over their qualifications, to stand as candidates in the election, another futile journey which ended in a letdown.
In May 2025, the appellate court upheld the tribunal’s ruling, reiterating that the PDP candidate had failed to substantiate his allegations. Still undeterred, Ajayi escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, the last bus stop in Nigeria’s judicial hierarchy. The apex court fixed September 17, 2025, as the date for judgment. But, to the shock of many, Ajayi abruptly filed a notice of withdrawal on September 16, a day before the ruling.
Exclusive findings reveal that Ajayi’s withdrawal was not driven by patriotic concern, but rather by the exhaustion of his options after multiple failed attempts to manipulate the judicial process.
Sources with knowledge of the matter disclosed that the former deputy governor liquidated at least two prime properties in Abuja, one located in the upscale Asokoro District and another twin properties in the Mabushi area, to bankroll what insiders described as “backdoor engagements” with judicial middlemen. He also received funds from a northern ex-service chief and a PDP governor all in vendetta to unseat Governor Aiyedatiwa at all costs.
Their desperation, according to those familiar with the case, was driven by the conviction that only through heavy financial inducement could he secure a favourable ruling overturning Governor Aiyedatiwa’s landslide victory and paint him, unpopular and inexperienced.
While Ajayi’s withdrawal has been widely hailed in some quarters as an act of statesmanship, observers argue that such praise is misplaced. Shockingly, even senior members of the Aiyedatiwa administration, including the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who had initially called on Ajayi and other petitioners to withdraw their petitions, were quick to innocently commend the move, describing it as a patriotic sacrifice to end litigation and allow governance to thrive.
But investigations suggest otherwise. Ajayi did not bow out of magnanimity, he was forced into retreat after repeatedly hitting brick walls in his bid to compromise the judiciary. In fact, his legal team were to be sanctioned for bringing a frivolous appeal but for the withdrawal, yet the Supreme Court despite the withdrawal tongue tongue-lashed his lawyer for disturbing the peace of the justices. The much-celebrated withdrawal, therefore, is nothing more than a tactical retreat dressed in patriotic colours.
This episode once again shows a disturbing political culture in which public office is seen as a business enterprise rather than a call to serve. For Agboola Ajayi, the governorship contest was less about the people of Ondo State and more about personal ambition, fueled by the willingness to gamble millions of naira, even at the risk of selling prized assets, and dine with the devils just to secure power.
Ondo State citizens, particularly those in positions of public trust, must resist the urge to romanticise Ajayi’s decision. Instead, the focus should shift to exposing the ignoble roles played by desperate politicians who attempt to hold the democratic process hostage.
With the withdrawal and eventual dismissal of the appeal, by the Supreme Court, the 2024 Ondo governorship election litigation chapter has been conclusively closed. Governor Aiyedatiwa can now fully focus on governance without the distraction of legal fireworks.
Yet, as history records this episode, it must also note the dangerous lengths some politicians are willing to go in pursuit of power. The people of Ondo deserve leaders who see politics as service, not an investment to be recouped through manipulation and compromise.
In the final analysis, Ajayi’s withdrawal should not be mistaken for patriotism, it is a forced and shameful surrender, the inevitable consequence of desperation meeting immovable and incorruptible justice.
