Amidst tight security, the Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal on Friday, January 27, 2023, sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Osun State governor and declared Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the valid governor.
The tribunal in a split document of two to one held that Oyetola validly won the July 16 Osun State governor election and noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) erred before the law to have declared Adeleke the winner of the election.
Justice Tetsea Kume, while delivering a majority decision, declared that INEC did not comply substantially with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Kume deducted the over-voting observed from the votes scored by the candidates and declared that Oyetola won the election, having polled 314, 921, while Adeleke’s score came down to 290, 266.
The tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw Adeleke’s certificate of return and issue another one to Oyetola who won a majority of the lawful votes.
However, Governor Adeleke has rejected the verdict of the tribunal and described it as “a miscarriage of justice”, vowing to challenge the ruling at the Appellant Court.
Reacting from his Ede home, the governor faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, calling it “an unfair interpretation against the will of the majority of voters.”
He urged his supporters to remain calm saying, ” I call on our people to remain calm. We will appeal the judgement and we are sure justice will be done. Let our people be reassured that we will do everything possible to retain this widely acclaimed mandate,” the governor said in a statement signed by his spokesman, Olawale Rasheed.
Also reacting, N. Olusola Oke (SAN), a counsel to Governor Adeleke said, “The reality on the ground is that we are dissatisfied with the tribunal majority judgement and the necessary legal step for challenging that judgement, we will embark upon it. The minority judgement may not necessary be the judgement of the court but we are in total agreement with the position of the minority judgement as delivered. But you will recall that it is the only two people that delivered judgement in respect of this matter.”
