Jubilation In Osun Over Appeal Court Judgment

Members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, on Friday went into jubilation following an Appeal court ruling, which set aside the judgement of the election petition Tribunal that sacked Ademola Adeleke as the winner of July 16 gubernatorial election in the state.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had reinstated Adeleke as the Governor of Osun State.

Delivering judgment in the appeal filed by Adeleke on Friday, a three-member panel of justices held that the election tribunal erred when it ruled that the 1st and 2nd respondents (Gboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress) proved their allegation of over-voting.

According to the panel of judges which issued its verdict on Friday, Adeleke is the duly elected governor of the state.

The Osun governorship election tribunal, in January, held that Oyetola was able to prove that there was over-voting in some of the polling units.

A three-man panel led by Mohamed Shuaibu had reserved judgment at the last hearing after taking various arguments.

Also, a three-man panel of the Osun tribunal had ordered Adeleke’s sacking and consequently directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to him and issue a fresh one to Gboyega Oyetola as the duly elected governor of Osun.

The tribunal held that Adeleke did not score the majority of lawful votes during the July 16 governorship election in the state.

Adeleke, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner of the governorship poll held on July 16.

Not satisfied with the outcome of the poll, in August 2022, ex-governor Oyetola and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) petitioned the Tribunal to challenge Adeleke’s victory on the grounds that he did not qualify to contest the election and that there was overvoting in 749 polling units across 10 local governments.

In the judgement, two out of the three-member panel of the Tribunal held that Oyetola could prove that there was indeed over-voting in some of the polling units.

Immediately after the news of the appeal Court broke out, members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party thronged the major streets in Osogbo and Ede to celebrate the victory of Adeleke..

Speaking with our Correspondent, one of the jubilant supporters of the Governor Asimiyu Ajibola said they thronged the major streets in the state capital to celebrate the victory of the Governor at the court of appeal.

Ajibola who urged the people of the state to remain calm and be moderate in celebration saying Governor Adeleke has so many people oriented Programmes for the state.