OSUN GUBER: APPEAL COURT SET TO DELIVER JUDGEMNT ON ADELEKE

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

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

The Osun tribunal led by three-man panel had ordered the dismissal of Adeleke 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.

According to the tribunal, 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.

In August 2022, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-governor Oyetola petitioned the Tribunal to challenge Adeleke’s victory on the grounds that he was ineligible to contest the election and that there had been overvoting in 749 polling units across 10 local governments.

Two of the panel’s three members, who rendered the decision, agreed that Oyetola could prove that there was overvoting in several of the polling units.

Adeleke’s legal counsel disputed the allegation of excessive voting in the appellate court.