Election appeals tribunal declares Ademola Adeleke the duly elected Osun State governor

SENATOR Ademola Adeleke has been declared the winner of the September 2018 Osun State gubernatorial election  by the Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

 

In a landmark judgement, a three-man panel of judges  led by Justice Ibrahim Sirajo ruled that Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had defeated Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the elections. After initial voting, the Indepenedent National Electoral Commission had declared the contest inconclusive after tight race which ended with Senator Adeleke leading Alhaji Oyetola with just 353 votes.

 

Inec then organised a supplementary election in seven polling units across four local government areas because it had it had cancelled 3,498 votes. After this re-run in Osogbo, Orolu, Ife North and Ife South local government areas, Inec declared Alhaji Oyetola the winner with a total of 255,505 votes while Senator Adeleke scored 255,023 votes.

 

However, Senator Adeleke, currently the lawmaker representing Osun West Senatorial District in the senate, filed a petition with the election tribunal challenging the result. During hearing, the PDP and Senator Adeleke called 80 witnesses, while the APC called two and Inec did not call any at all.

 

After hearing from all sides, the tribunal declared that Senator Adeleke had been duly elected and should assume office as the governor of Osun State. This ruling means that Alhaji Oyetola who was sworn-in as governor on November 27, will have to either appeal the judgement or stand down.

 

Reading the judgement on behalf of the panel, Justice Peter Obiora said: “In the final analysis, having held that the cancellation was illegal based on non compliance, it is our decision that the petitioners won the election of the Osun State gubernatorial election."

 

In its ruling, the panel of judges held that the APC and its candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, were not validly returned. It is not yet clear if the APC will appeal the decision or whether Alhaji Oyetola will concede defeat and drop any further litigation.

 

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