The Osun State Election Petition Tribunal on Friday declared the People’s Democratic Party candidate in the September 22, 2018 Osun governorship election Senator Ademola Adeleke as the duly elected Governor of the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola winner after a supplementary election was held on September 26.
Dissatisfied with the declaration of Oyetola as the winner, Adeleke had approached the tribunal seeking for nullification of Oyetola’s election, and asked to be declared the winner based on irregularities.
In yesterday’s judgment, the three man panel led by Ibrahim Sirajo sitting in Abuja, upheld Adeleke submission and thus nullified the election of Oyetola and ordered INEC to immediately withdraw the Certificate of Return earlier issued to him as winner.
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The tribunal held that Adeleke scored the lawful majority votes at the election contrary to the declaration by INEC.
The tribunal in declaring Adeleke as winner of the election, also ordered that a fresh Certificate of Return be issued to Adeleke immediately.
The panel held that the returning officer, ought not to have cancelled the election in the first place as he lacked the Constitutional powers to do so.
The tribunal held that the supplementary election was a product of an illegal cancellation of the results in the seven polling units during the September 22, 2018 main election.
A dissenting judgment is currently ongoing.
Details later…
