By Ayodele Oni
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Thursday, reacted to the Federal High Court judgement which restricted his tenure to a term, saying he is focused on governance and has not declared interest in any future election.
He however hinted on possible appeal against the judgement saying “The judgment is that of the court. I have not seen the details yet. My counsel will look at it and advise. If there is need for further interpretation, we will follow the legal process.
“We have High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the final authority. We will follow due process so that there will be clarity in the law,” he added
The governor spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today shortly after the Federal High Court sitting in Akure delivered a judgment restraining him from contesting for another term, ruling that the Constitution does not allow a governor to spend more than eight years in office.
Reacting to the development, Aiyedatiwa said the legal battles were unnecessary and premature, insisting that he had never at any time declared intention to contest another election.
“I have never at any time declared publicly that I’m going to contest any election. I was sworn in just about a year ago, and there is no timetable for any election. So there is no cause of action as far as I’m concerned.”
The governor explained that he did not institute the suit but was dragged to court by political actors seeking constitutional interpretation.
“I did not approach the court to seek eligibility to contest. Some people, for political reasons, decided to go to court to seek clarification. Since the case was filed against me, I had to defend myself.”
Aiyedatiwa explained that the series of litigations against him had become a distraction from governance, noting that he had faced several court cases since assuming office.
“For some reason, I have done almost 20 cases, so it is nothing new to me anymore. I have developed a thick skin. I don’t feel anything other than the fact that these distractions are just being put away so that I can continue my work for the good people of Ondo State,” he said.
The governor also dismissed claims that the court action was linked to his alleged ambition to seek another term, stressing that his priority remains delivering on his mandate.
“I have not shown interest in any future election. I just won an election and I am focused on delivering the mandate given to me by the people. All these issues about 2028 are too early.
The governor also denied allegations of crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, rejecting claims that he was pushing out political opponents.
“Nobody is being chased away from the party. Politics is a game of numbers. I want more people to join APC, not fewer. Ondo State today is largely APC, and more people are still coming in.”
On the constitutional provision limiting tenure, Aiyedatiwa said he would abide by the law but maintained that the issue was speculative since no new election process had begun.
“The Constitution is the guiding rule, and the judiciary interprets it. I have not presented myself for another election, so this scenario does not even arise now. My focus is to govern and fulfil my promises to the people.”
The Federal High Court in Akure had earlier ruled that allowing Aiyedatiwa to contest again would be contrary to constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court decision in Marwa v. Nyako, which limits a governor’s tenure to eight years.
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