The Osun state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal headed by Justice Tetse Kume on Friday announced its decision on the petition filed by Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who was the APC gubernatorial candidate in the governorship election held in the state on July 16 2022.
It will be recalled that while the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) had announced Governor Ademola Adeleke, who was the PDP guber candidate as winner of the election, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had however filed a petition against his declaration as winner of the guber election.
Adeleke had stood as candidate of the PDP in 2018 and 2022 gubernatorial elections.
He was sworn in as sixth executive governor of Osun state by the state Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo on Sunday, November 27 2022 .
The tribunal in a split decision of two to one on Friday ordered the electoral umpire; the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Adeleke and issue a fresh one to Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola.
The majority decision which was read by the Chairman, Justice Tertse Kume said the Independent National Electoral Commission failed to substantially comply with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act and had erred in declaring Adeleke as winner of the guber election.
Apparently accepting that there were cases of over voting, the majority decision declared Oyetola as winner of the election, having eventually declared to have had 314, 921 votes while Adeleke got 290, 266 votes.
It will be recalled that Oluwatoyin Ogundipe , who was the chief returning officer for the election, had on 17 July 2022 declared that Adeleke had 389,984 votes while Oyetola got 360,500 votes.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned Governor Adeleke had since rejected the tribunal verdict calling it ‘an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters’.
He however urged his supporters across the state and beyond to keep calm while disclosing that he will appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal, insisting that he remains the real winner of the July 16 gubernatorial election.
‘I call on our people to remain calm. We will appeal the judgment and we are sure that justice will be done. Let our people be reassured that we will do everything possible to retain this widely acclaimed mandate’ his media team quoted him to have submitted on Friday- Team@orientactualmags.com
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