Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has said he will approach the Court of Appeal to challenge a tribunal judgment that upturned his victory in the governorship election in the state.
The Election Petition Tribunal hearing the petition of Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, annulled the result of the 16 July, 2022 Osun governorship poll.
Justice Tetsea Kume, delivering a majority decision, declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not comply substantially with the Constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He also declared that the governorship election was marred by over-voting in favour of the PDP candidate.
He therefore deducted the over-voting observed from the total votes scored by the two candidates and declared that Oyetola won the election, having polled 314, 921, while Adeleke’s score came down to 290, 266.
Justice Kume directed INEC to withdraw Adeleke’s Certificate of Return and issue a fresh one to Oyetola who won a majority of the lawful votes.
However, Senator Adeleke, in a release by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, rejected the governorship tribunal’s verdict.
Reacting to the ruling from his Ede country-home, he described it as “a miscarriage of justice” and vowed to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.
Adeleke faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of Oyetola. He said it is “an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters.”
He urged his supporters to remain calm while he appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal. He insisted that he remains the rightful winner of the governorship election.
“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,” Adeleke declared.
