Contrary to optimism expressed by Jimoh Ibrahim, the Supreme Court has struck out his appeals challenging the ruling of the Court of Appeal which affirmed Eyitayo Jegede as the authentic Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the forthcoming Ondo election.

A five-man panel of Supreme Court judges led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, delivered the judgement on Thursday.

The apex court held that all the issues raised by Biyi Poroye, factional chairman of the PDP in Ondo State, had been overtaken by the judgement of the Appeal Court on Wednesday.

The Appeal Court had set aside a ruling delivered by Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court, Abuja, ordering INEC to recognize Ibrahim as the authentic candidate of the PDP in the Ondo Elections.

Abang also held that INEC should deal with Ali Modu-Sheriff as the National chairman of the opposition party.

The Supreme Court ruling has ended optimism expressed by Ibrahim that he would be re-instated as governorship candidate of the PDP.

It is left to be seen whether this ruling by the Supreme Court puts to bed the protracted leadership tussle that has threatened to destroying the PDP; a party which until the last general election in 2015, had been in power since 1999.

Two former governors are currently laying claim to the leadership of the party: Ali Modu-Sheriff, former governor of Borno State, and Ahmed Makarfi, former governor of Kaduna State.

Meanwhile, analysts say the Ondo governorship election will be contested mainly between political parties namely, the PDP, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Alliance for Democracy, AD.

The APC, though an opposition in Ondo State, is the ruling party in Nigeria and has chosen Rotimi Akeredolu as its flag bearer in a controversial primary election.

Candidate of the AD, Olusola Oke, had contested in the APC primary election, but dumped the party shortly after, citing irregularities that marred the process.

The election will hold on Saturday, November 26.