From Peter Obi to Adeleke: List of top Nigerian governors who secured victories in court

Although many Nigerians lack trust in the Judiciary, the country's top courts have handed victories to governors who contest that they won fair and square.

Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court declaring Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the legitimate governor of Osun State.

Legit.ng highlights the six -high-profile governors who obtained or regained their electoral mandate through the court.

1. Ademola Adeleke, Osun State

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, May 9 affirmed Senator Ademola Adeleke as the validly-elected governor of Osun, putting to rest months-long legal battle between him and ex-governor Gboyega Oyetola.

In the lead judgment prepared and delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, a member of the five-man panel that presided over the case, the court held that the appellants, Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC), did not produce concrete evidence to support their claims of over voting and improper accreditation of voters.

2. Hope Uzodimma, Imo State

Nigeria's apex court in January 2020 nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP as the governor of Imo State.

The court declared Hope Uzodimma of the APC as the winner of the Saturday, March 9, 2019, governorship election in the state. As a result, Uzodinma is sometimes mockingly called the 'Supreme Court governor'.

Due to the belated inauguration of Uzodimma, the 2023 Imo State gubernatorial election will take place on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

3. Peter Obi, Anambra State

The judiciary is certainly not unfamiliar terrain for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the Saturday, February 25, 2023 general election.

Obi’s epic judicial battles and tenacity made Anambra the first state in Nigeria to have an off-season governorship election.

About 20 years ago, Obi contested the April 19, 2003, governorship election in the state on the crest of the newly registered All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

After Chris Ngige of the PDP was declared winner of the race by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Obi rejected the result and went to court for redress, where he recorded a historic success.

After two years and 11 months of judicial fireworks, the tenure of Ngige as Anambra State Governor ended on a dramatic note on March 15, 2003, when, by a unanimous ruling, a five-member panel of the Court of Appeal upturned his victory and affirmed Obi as the winner of the April 2003 gubernatorial election in the state.

Up until 2007, Obi was a beneficiary of the judiciary concerning the Anambra state polls.

4. Rauf Aregbesola, Osun State

In November 2010, the Appeal Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, declared Rauf Aregbesola of the now-defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) winner of the 2007 governorship election in Osun State, awarding him 198,799 votes against the ousted incumbent Olagunsoye Oyinlola's 172,880.

Delivering judgment, the head of the five-member appeal panel, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, declared Aregbesola the winner and ordered that he should be sworn in immediately.

Aregbesola is the incumbent minister of interior.

5. Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State

Following Segun Oni’s declaration as the winner of the 2007 gubernatorial poll in Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi of the then-ACN disputed the victory, appealing the outcome.

After three and a half years of appeal, Fayemi was declared governor on October 15, 2010, by the Appeal Court sitting in Kwara State.

6. Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti State

In 2015, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the APC, challenging the eligibility and 2014 election of the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, for lack of merit.

Fayose served as governor of Ekiti State from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2014 to 2018.