Tribunal removes Adeleke, affirms Oyetola as Osun Governor

The Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, has upturned victory of Governor, Ademola Adeleke, declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, winner of the July 16th 2022 governorship polls,

It ruled that the number of votes allocated to the Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were incorrect considering that the electoral law were violated in some polling booths across the state.

The judges in their ruling on Friday stated that the offence committed during the poll were overvoting and deducted votes that were cast after the stipulated time for the exercise which had been earlier counted for Adeleke by INEC during the poll.

While delivering the lead decision, Justice Tetsea Kume, ruled that INEC did not comply substantially with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.

He subsequently 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.

He directed INEC to withdraw Adeleke’s certificate of return and issue another one to Oyetola who won a majority of the lawful votes.

A furious Adeleke described the judgement of the governorship election petitions tribunal as “a miscarriage of justice”, vowing to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

Reacting to the verdict of the tribunal from his country home in Ede, Adeleke faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of Oyetola, calling it “an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters”

While urging his supporters to remain calm, Adeleke vowed to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal, insisting he remained the rightful winner of the July 16 election.

Earlier before the judgement, roads leading to the premises of the Osun State High Court, where the panel deliver the judgement was blocked to traffic, thus students, workers and others with businesses along the route had to trek long distances to their destinations.