Tribunal: Osun Citizens Urged To Keep Calm As Gov Adeleke, PDP Accuse Justice Tertse Kume Of Bias

Osun state PDP has leveled allegations of bias against Justice Tertse Kume, who headed the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that gave its ruling on Friday.

 He was alleged to have sought to sabotage and deliberate undermine the new electoral act while the party has also threatened to report him to judicial disciplinary bodies.

It will be recalled that the tribunal had 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.

Caretaker Chairman  of the state PDP, Dr Adekunle Akindele , who presided over the press conference organized by the party in Osogbo on Saturday which was attended by journalists including  Team@orientactualmags.com , submitted that the judgment was acquired by the All Progressive Congress (APC) accusing  the judge  of abandoning  legal arguments and submissions to dwell on the trivial as foundation for his pronouncement.

Citing many examples of bias and personal hatred for Governor Adeleke by the Tribunal Chairman, the PDP also accused the judge , an indigene of Benue state, of serving as the mouthpiece of the petitioners during the hearing and launching personal attacks on the Governor in the ruling, citing the ridiculous reference to buga dance in the said judgment.

‘Our party had always suspected Mr Tertse Kumeata’s conduct in the course of hearing of the petition. Most times, the Benue State born controversial arbiter would get lost and get himself overwhelmed with his bias tendencies and enter the role of  the petitioner’s lead counsel , arguing points for them like a hired mercenary, even when it was obvious the hired counsels for the petitioner had lost their way. 

This reckless abuse of privilege got to a head when Mr Tartse had to step down hearing twice for the APC lead counsel to adjust and regain himself when the latter got lost in traffic of trying to adumbrate white as black in their final written address.

What more, the premeditated stance of the tribunal chairman was clearly demonstrated in his side of the stalemate with his choice of words which we considered unethical, disrespectful and unbecoming of a judicial officer of such standing.

Even if the judgment was waybilled to him as we suspected by his petitioner’s collaborators, he should have disguised and exercised some restraints by expunging the foul languages obviously written for him in local parlance of Buga lyrics to disrespect an incumbent governor. He shouldn’t have gone so low, low, low! 

This is more so, when he’s expected not to be too carried away or in the least, to be aware that his warped position was a mere starting point in the legal tussle in this context as provided in our extant laws.

For us as a party, we understand the desperation of those behind the jankara judgment. We understand the trap they tried to set against the BVAS innovation in our electoral system. We understand  that the desperation goes beyond the Osun election or Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke. 

The evil plot is ultimately against the coming general election where in their usual fraudulent habit, millions of voter cards have either been cloned, registered with ghost names and are being made ready to be deployed especially for the presidential election, in which they could smell their total rejection far ahead of time. 

In this wise and in their fraudulent anticipation, the use of BVAS machine must be discredited and rendered impotent ahead of their planned invasion of the electoral field with their fraudulent antics. However ladies and gentlemen, this is a battle they cannot win!

The experience in Osun calls for eternal vigilance of Nigerians. Nigerians from far and near must be vigilant because the poll robbers are not resting and are not even hiding it. They are on the streets boasting already with their trade to circumvent the process against popular choice of Nigerians. This we must all fight or the nation is doomed in their hands.

The most disturbing aspect is that they have collaborators and willing accomplices everywhere. Either in the Election management body, security or even the hallowed temple of justice like the Buga exponent, who have got drenched in his bias disposition to dare all consequences to deliver an absurdity of judgment, which was washed down his face alternately by his bench mate. 

Nigerians must be ready just as we are ready for them in Osun State. They will not win this time. There should be an end to exploits of minority crooks in our land. 

In the meantime, we call on the good people of our dear state, to be calm in steadfastness. They should be calm but be ready to defend their mandate with us. The bandits will not win when we move as one’  he said.

In separate statement , the man at the centre of the issue, Governor  Ademola Adeleke, has also urged the people of the state to keep calm while expressing  appreciation to them for their passionate show of love and rejection of what he called Kangaroo judgment .

‘I have read stories of multiple protests and I have seen many videos from all over the state. From Central, West and east, I am overwhelmed by your open defence of our mandate. I express my appreciation to our people for the show of support. Your love for me is really appreciated.

 We have not done anything wrong. We won clearly by a wide margin. Local and foreign observers hailed our election as the best in recent Nigerian history. Be rest assured that by God and Man, justice will be done. Our mandate won’t be stolen.

 I urge you to remain calm. We should not take the law into our hands. We have appealed the judgment and we are sure of victory by the Special Grace of God’  the statement concluded- Team@orientactualmags.com
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