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Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has described a court ruling barring him from contesting the 2028 gubernatorial election in the state as an unnecessary distraction.
Justice Toyin Adegoke of the Federal High Court, Akure, on Thursday halted the governor’s bid to seek re-election in 2028.
The judge, who delivered the ruling in a lawsuit filed by a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Akin Egbuwalo, held that allowing Aiyedatiwa to contest the next election would be contrary to the 1999 Constitution.
Aiyedatiwa took over as governor in December 2023 following the death of Rotimi Akeredolu, whose term he completed.
He was re-elected to a new four-year term in February 2025.
The governor, who appeared in a program on Channels Television on Friday, said he had never shown any interest in contesting any other elections in the state.
He said: “I would like to start by clarifying a bit of sanity in relation to this matter. Let me explain some truths so that the general public can have a better understanding of what has happened and what is happening currently.
“A lot of things are said on social media and there are a lot of misunderstandings and opinions that try to distort the truth.
READ ALSO: Court stops Aiyedatiwa from running for another term
“But the reality is that I never stated to anyone that I would contest the election.
“I said this about a year ago. This is not the time to hold a gubernatorial election in this state.
“There’s no timetable. There’s no sign of any election and I haven’t expressed any interest in running again for governor because it’s not time yet.”
The governor also clarified that he did not approach the court seeking eligibility to contest any election, and explained that the case was initiated by another individual seeking clarification regarding his eligibility.
Aiyedatiwa emphasized that the legal battle will not distract him from focusing on governance and fulfilling the promises he made to the people of Ondo State.
“I don’t feel any disturbance. I feel good and I will continue to do my work for the good people of Ondo State.
“I want to fulfill the promises I made during the campaign and make sure that I deliver on them,” he said.
On whether he would ever consider running in the next election, Aiyedatiwa said his focus remains on fulfilling the new mandate he recently received.
“I have had elections, I have completed the term of office of my late principal and I contested the election which I won on November 16 2024 and was still fresh.
“I have never thought about other elections other than carrying out the new mandate that has been given to me,” concluded the governor.
