Court will decide my 2028 eligibility — Aiyedatiwa

The Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said the judiciary will determine whether he is eligible to contest the 2028 governorship election in the state.

Aiyedatiwa stated this during a media chat in Akure while responding to debates surrounding his eligibility to run for another term after already being sworn in twice as governor.

The governor was first sworn in to complete the tenure of the late Rotimi Akeredolu following his death in 2023. He later contested and won the 2024 governorship election and was sworn in again in February 2025.

His possible bid for another term in 2028 has since sparked legal and constitutional debates over whether such a move would amount to a third oath of office.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Akin Egbuwalo, had filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking interpretation of Section 137(3) of the Constitution regarding the eligibility of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, to contest another term.

The judgment in the case was initially scheduled for January 28 but was suspended by the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure pending the determination of an appeal before the appellate court.

Speaking on the matter, Aiyedatiwa said he had not discussed contesting the 2028 election with anyone, describing the suit against him as frivolous.

He also questioned the interpretation of Section 182(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states that a person sworn in to complete the tenure of another elected governor cannot be elected to the office for more than a single term.

According to him, legal experts have raised questions about whether completing a few weeks or months of a tenure should count as a full term.

“Some lawyers have argued: will you say that if someone completes just two months or a few weeks into a tenure, it should count as a full term?” he said.

The governor insisted that the matter should be left for the courts to decide, stressing that he had not declared any intention to run for the 2028 election.

“Let the judiciary decide what will happen. I have left that to the lawyers and the court to handle,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa also argued that the case was premature since the electoral process for the 2028 governorship election had not begun.

“An election is a process. There must first be an expression of interest, then a timetable by the party and the electoral body. None of that has happened,” he said.

He further noted that as a sitting governor, he enjoys constitutional immunity and questioned why he was taken to court over what he described as a “futuristic issue.”

The governor added that anyone interested in challenging his eligibility should wait until he formally declares his intention to run.

“Wait until that time when I come out that I want to run, then you can take me to court,” he said.

Commenting on the recently concluded congresses of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Aiyedatiwa said the exercises were conducted peacefully across wards, local governments and the state level, though the party had yet to officially announce the results.

He dismissed claims that the congresses had deepened divisions within the party, insisting that the APC in Ondo State remained united.

“APC is one in Ondo State. We are not divided. But interests differ when it comes to political positions. That is politics,” he said.

The governor also denied speculation of a rift between him and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, describing the reports as baseless and driven by political interests.

“I have no problem with the Minister of Interior, and I don’t think he has any with me either. In politics, you cannot stop anybody from growing. It depends on your strategy and method of engagement,” Aiyedatiwa said.