BREAKING: Osun tribunal sacks Adeleke, declares Oyetola governor

The Election Petition Court has declared the July 22 gubernatorial election null and void.

The court, in court on Friday in Osogbo, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the certificate of return of Governor Ademola Adeleke and his deputy, Kola Adewusim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The panel presided over by Justice Terste Kume also directed that a certificate of return should be issued to Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Judge Kume said that the governorship election was not held in accordance with the Electoral Act.

The court stated that the gubernatorial election was characterized by overvoting. He said after deducting the excess votes, Mr. Oyetola’s tally in the election was 314, 921.

The court, therefore, ordered that Mr. Oyetola be reinstated as the governor of Osun State.

Mr. Adeleke has been declared the winner with a total of 403,371 votes. He won in 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country.

Mr. Oyetola of APC won the remaining 13 LGAs with 375,027 votes

Fifteen candidates contested for the gubernatorial election but it was fiercely contested between Mr. Adeleke and Mr. Oyetola.

In the petition, Mr. Oyetola said the election was characterized by overvoting in 749 polling units.

He also said that Mr. Adeleke forged his academic credentials which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the election.

Background

The judicial panel begins sitting in August 2022, a few weeks after the gubernatorial election.

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Mr. Oyetola and APC are the petitioners in the case with Lateef Fagbemi and Akin Olujimi as the lead counsel.

INEC is the first defendant, Mr. Adeleke is the second respondent and PDP is the third defendant.

Paul Ananaba is INEC’s adviser, Alex Iziyon is PDP’s adviser and Onyechi Ikpeazu is Mr. Adeleke’s adviser.