Osun Poll: Appeal Court Set To Determine Governor Adeleke’s Fate

The Court of Appeal Abuja Division is set to deliver judgement in an appeal by Governor Ademola Adeleke challenging the decision of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which sacked him from office.

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.

At the Appellate court, counsel to Adeleke refuted the claim of over voting.