Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has criticised a Federal High Court ruling in Akure that prevents him from seeking another term. He described the decision as premature and said it distracts from his work as governor.
THN reports that the court, led by Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke, ruled that the 1999 Constitution limits governors to a maximum of eight years in office.
Kin Egbuwalo, a member of the APC, filed the suit seeking a declaration that Section 137(3) of the Constitution affects Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility to run again.
The court sided with the plaintiff and ordered that the governor cannot run for office again.
The defendants in the case included Aiyedatiwa, his deputy, Olayide Adelami, the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
However, speaking During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Aiyedatiwa said it is too early to discuss the 2028 off-cycle governorship election.
He pointed out that he was re-elected in November 2024 and is staying focused on his duties as governor.
The governor said he has not thought about how the eight-year constitutional limit could affect him, since he is concentrating on carrying out the policies and projects he promised voters.
He said: “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.
“The party remains dominant in Ondo State, and politics is ultimately a game of numbers. I am not chasing anyone away from the party.”
