The Election Petition Tribunal in Osun State has declared Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the July 16 governorship election in the State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the poll.
The Tribunal, which heard Oyetola’s petition against Adeleke’s victory, on Friday annulled the result of the July 16 Osun governorship poll.
Justice Tetsea Kume, while delivering a majority decision declared that INEC did not comply substantially with the Constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He subsequently deducted the over-voting observed from the votes scored by the 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 issued another one to Oyetola who won a majority of the lawful votes.
A minority decision by one of the judges is being maintained that Adeleke is the winner of the poll.
But Governor Ademola Adeleke described the judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal which voided his election, as “a miscarriage of justice,” saying that he was going to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
He declared that he remained the rightful winner of the July 16, 2022 governorship election.
Reacting to the verdict of the Tribunal, Governor Adeleke faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, calling it “an unfair interpretation against the will of a majority of voters.”
Adeleke urged his supporters to remain calm.
“I call on our people to remain calm. We will appeal the judgment 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 in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.
