Osun Gov Poll: Supreme Court Slates Tuesday For Judgement

A five-man panel of Justices of the apex court adjourned to resolve the legal dispute sorrounding the governorship election that held in the state on July 16, 2022.

It will be recalled that the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had on January 27, in a split decision, voided the declaration of Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as winner of the gubernatorial election.

The Justice Tertsea Kume-led three-member panel tribunal, in its majority verdict, upheld a petition that was brought before it by the former governor of the state, Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who came second in the election.

It held that Adeleke did not score the majority of lawful votes, adding that the conduct of the election was not in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

According to the tribunal, the petitioners, Oyetola and APC, successfully established that there was over voting in 744 polling units in the state.

After deducting the said invalid votes, the tribunal declared Oyetola as winner of the governorship contest, even as it directed the INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return it earlier issued to Adeleke.

READ ALSO: How Osun APC Factional Leaders Conspired With PDP To Betray Oyetola — Timothy Owoeye

However, in his dissenting judgement, the third member of the panel, Justice P. Ogbuli, affirmed Adeleke as the valid winner of the election, even as he struck out the petition that was lodged by Oyetola and the APC.

READ ALSO: Osun Polls: Supreme Court Hears Adeleke, Oyetola Case Today

Meanwhile, following an appeal that was lodged by Adeleke and the PDP, the Court of Appeal, on March 24, reversed the judgment of the tribunal.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, held that there was merit in Adeleke’s appeal.

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