The governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Thursday, March 12, denied having plans to seek another term in office, insisting that he neither declared such ambition nor approached the court to challenge his eligibility for a future governorship election.
Aiyedatiwa clarified amid legal and political debates surrounding his potential eligibility to contest the 2028 governorship election.
The controversy follows a ruling by the federal high court in Akure, which barred the governor from contesting another term, citing constitutional limits on tenure.
Speaking during the programme, Aiyedatiwa said discussions about a future election were premature because no election timetable had been released and he had not declared any intention to run again.
“I have never at any time declared to the public that I’m going to contest an election again. There is no timetable, there is no scheduling of any election in this state,” Aitedatiwa said.
He stressed that the legal action seeking an interpretation of his eligibility was initiated by other individuals and not by him.
“Secondly, I did not approach the court to seek eligibility to contest for an election. I did not approach the court. Some people, for political reasons, decided to go to court to seek clarity,” he said.
“All of these court cases are just distractions. They are not necessary. My focus is to serve the good people of Ondo state.”
The legal debate over Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility stems from the circumstances under which he became governor after the death of his predecessor, Rotimi Akeredolu, whose tenure he completed before winning the governorship election in November 2024.
Aiyedatiwa noted that his focus since winning the election has been on fulfilling the mandate given to him by the people rather than engaging in discussions about a future contest.
“I just won an election. It is still fresh. What I am preoccupied with is delivering on the mandate that the people of Ondo state gave me,” he added.
“Why don’t you wait until maybe 2027 or early 2028, when the timetable for the election will be out? At that time, we can begin to talk about the interpretation of some constitutional clauses.”
The governor also dismissed allegations that he was attempting to sideline political rivals within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state ahead of a possible future contest.
“Politics is a game of numbers. Rather than chase people away, I want more people to join our party,” he said.
He insisted that there was no conflict between him and other political figures within the party, including the minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
According to him, differing interests among politicians are normal within party politics.
“We are members of the same family. We are all APC. There is no fight. Nobody chased anyone away.
“If I impress the people so well and they ask me to continue, and if the law permits, why not? But for now, my focus is governance,” he said.
He added that his legal team would study the details of the court ruling before deciding whether further legal steps would be taken.
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