Tribunal Sacks Adeleke As Osun Governor

Governor Ademola Adeleke

Osun State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo has nullified the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

This is even as the tribunal on Friday, January 27 declared Gboyega Oyetola as the winner of the June 16, 2022 Gubernatorial election. 

The 3-man panel led by Justice Tertsea Kume instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Adeleke and his deputy, Kola Adewusi.

Kume noted that the certificate of return should be issued to Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) adding that the election failed to comply with the Electoral Act.

He held that the governorship election was marred by over-voting in six Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

The panel chairman stated that after deducting the excessive votes, the figure Mr Oyetola polled at the election was 314, 921.

Earlier, the immediate past governor of the state, Oyetola argued that the election was marred by over-voting in 749 polling units.

He insisted that Adeleke forged the academic credentials he submitted to the INEC to contest for the election.

Senator Adeleke won the June 16, 2022 election with 403,371 votes. He defeated Oyetola, who polled 375,027 votes. 

Adeleke, a former federal lawmaker won in 17 out of the 30 LGAs while Oyetola won in 13 LGAs in the state. 

He beat Oyetola with a margin of about 44,426 votes.

About 15 political parties contested in the election. Some of the candidates were Mr Yusuf Lasun (Labour Party); Munirudeen Atanda (Action Democratic Party); Mr Oyegoke Omigbodun, Social Democratic Party (SDP); Dr Akin Ogunbiyi (Accord) among others. 

Accord Party came third with 4,508 votes, followed by Labour Party with 2,729 votes, African Action Congress with 2,141 votes and Social Democratic Party with 515 votes.

In 2018, Adeleke contested the gubernatorial election also on the platform of PDP but lost to Gov Oyetola with a slight margin of 482 votes.

Oyetola polled 255,505 votes while Adeleke scored 255,023 votes.

Adeleke is expected to appeal the ruling of the tribunal and will remain in office pending the final determination of the suit by the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.