A Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State has barred Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, from re-contesting the seat in the 2028 governorship election. Delivering judgement, Justice Adegoke held that it would violate the constitutional limit of eight years in office if he re-contests in the election. Daily Trust reports that Aiyedatiwa who first assumed office on 27 December 2023 following the death of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and was later sworn in again on 24 February 2025 after winning the 16 November 2024 governorship election. SPONSOR AD But ahead of the 2028 governorship election in the state, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Akin Egbuwalo, through his counsel, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), dragged the governor to court, seeking interpretation of Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution as it relates to Aiyedatiwa’s tenure. The section, along with Section 182(3), provides that a person sworn in to complete the term of another elected official can only contest and serve one additional term. Egbuwalo argued that since Aiyedatiwa had taken two oaths of office—first as successor to the late Governor Akeredolu and later as an elected governor—the Constitution limits him to only one additional term. Delivering the ruling on Thursday, the court ruled that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) does not permit a president or governor to remain in office for more than eight years, relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Marwa v. Nyako to support its position. The court concluded that allowing Aiyedatiwa to contest again and potentially serve another four years would contradict the Supreme Court’s position that no president or governor can remain in office for more than eight years. The court subsequently upheld the arguments of the plaintiff and granted all the reliefs sought in the suit. On Monday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed an appeal filed by Aiyedatiwa, challenging a federal high court ruling that allowed an amendment in a suit seeking to bar him from contesting the 2028 governorship election. In a unanimous judgment delivered on Monday, a three-member panel of the appellate court held that the appeal lacked merit and awarded N2 million in costs against the governor. Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, held that Aiyedatiwa failed to show that the federal high court in Akure denied him fair hearing when it exercised its discretion to grant leave for the amendment of the originating summons.