OSUN POLL: ADELEKE’S VICTORY REMAINS UNCHALLENGED AS 21-DAY PETITION PERIOD ENDS
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By: Muftau Fatimo
The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has not received any petition challenging the outcome of the August 15 governorship election as the constitutionally stipulated 21-day period for filing such petitions expired on Saturday.
None of the 14 political parties that lost the election filed a petition seeking to contest the result within the prescribed period.
The media reports that the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, who contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party, was declared the winner by the State Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole.
Adeleke secured 511,067 votes to defeat his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who garnered 444,815 votes in the election.
Fifteen political parties fielded candidates in the poll.
Shortly after the results of the poll were announced, the office of the Election Petition Tribunal that will hear matters arising from the poll opened for operation on the premises of the State High Court in Oke Fia, Osogbo, Osun State.
On Saturday, the last day for the filing of petitions on the outcome of the poll, during a visit by the media to the tribunal office, its registry was opened for business.
But a staff member who responded to enquiries told our correspondents that no petition had been received.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Osun APC to the development failed, as calls to the party’s spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, rang out, while a response to a message sent to him via WhatsApp seeking to know the party’s position on the refusal of the opposition parties to challenge Adeleke’s victory was still being expected as of the time of filing this report on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Osun Accord Chairman, Mr Victor Akande, during a telephone interview on Sunday, said that by refusing to challenge Adeleke’s victory at the poll, the opposition candidates had exhibited political maturity.
“We appreciate the maturity of the candidates of the opposition for not challenging the outcome of the poll. That itself is good for democracy, if an election stops at the poll. The idea of going to court to regain a mandate is sometimes not good for democracy,” Akande said.
Also commenting, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Olugbenga Ajala, during a telephone interview with our correspondent on Sunday, said the election and the processes leading to it were considered fair enough.
Ajala said, “The election came, and it’s gone. Fair enough; we have to be content with the outcome of the poll because we believe the best candidate won, and we also believe that the president is fair enough.
“If the election has not been fair enough, we would have headed for the Tribunal, but we give thanks to God that the process can be seen by all to be very fair. That is why no party or candidate is coming forward for any petition.”
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