Ondo PDP Candidate Agboola Ajayi Poised to Join APC After Withdrawing Court Case

The political landscape in Ondo State is set for a major shift as Hon. Agboola Ajayi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 2024 governorship election, prepares to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ajayi, who served as Ondo’s deputy governor and emerged as the closest rival to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the election, formally withdrew his appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the poll outcome. In a letter to the Chief Registrar of the court, he explained that his decision followed extensive consultations with family, associates, party members, and legal advisers, stressing that his priority remained peace and good governance.

“After careful deliberation, we have reached a consensus that the appeal should be withdrawn, and I hereby so do. Having served as deputy governor and legislator, my foremost commitment is to good governance and peaceful coexistence in Ondo State and Nigeria,” Ajayi said.

Reacting to the development, Governor Aiyedatiwa disclosed that Ajayi had already indicated readiness to join the APC in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. “In fact, Hon. Agboola Ajayi has told me personally that he is coming to join the APC. I am waiting for him so that we can work together to build a greater Ondo State,” the governor said during an interview on Channels TV.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed all petitions filed by the PDP, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the Allied People’s Movement (APM), sealing Aiyedatiwa’s victory with 366,781 votes against Ajayi’s 117,845. The governor described the ruling as the final confirmation of the mandate freely given to him by the people of Ondo State.

Observers believe Ajayi’s expected move to the APC could reshape the state’s political alignments and influence future contests.