Court Ruling Barring Me From Seeking Another Term Is Unnecessary – Aiyedatiwa

Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has blasted the ruling of a Federal High Court in Akure restraining him from seeking another term in office. He recently had his say during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to him, discussions about the 2028 off-cycle governorship election are unnecessary at this stage because he has only just secured a fresh mandate from voters in the state.

Describing the ruling as very premature, he declared that it is a massive distraction from governance.

His words, “This is too early. Why don’t you wait till 2027 or when the off-cycle timetable will be out in early 2028? Maybe at that time, I might begin to think, wait a minute, do I have the right to contest or not?

At that time, one can begin to seek interpretation of some of these clauses in the constitution.

I went into a free and fair, conclusive election, which I won on the 16th of November 2024, so it is still fresh. I have never thought about any other election other than delivering on the mandate that has been given to me.

Future elections were not in my mind at all because you have to go step by step, stage by stage.

I know the constitutional provision of eight years, but I have not even gone into that because I just won an election. All I was occupied with was to govern and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people until somebody woke up and began to challenge it.

You ask how I feel. I feel the same way. This distraction will be put to rest because it is a whole lot of distraction for me, having gone through election and survived impeachment.”

WOW.