24th March, 2023
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja in a unanimous judgement on Friday affirmed the victory of Ademola Adeleke of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 16 July, 2022 Osun State governorship election.
The three-man panel led by justice Mohammed Shuaibu set aside the decision of the Osun State Governorship tribunal which had nullified the victory of Adeleke in favour of Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Election petition tribunal had sacked Adeleke from office on the basis that he did not score the majority of lawful votes cast in the July 16 governorship polls.
But the Court of Appeal, in its judgment in the appeal filed by Adeleke, quashed the tribunal’s judgement on Friday.
In the 16 July governorship election, INEC said Adeleke polled 403,371 votes to defeat then-incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC, who got 375,027 votes.
But Oyetola and the APC rejected the result of the poll and headed for the tribunal.
In its January 27, 2023 majority verdict, the Justice Tertse Kume-led tribunal annulled Adeleke’s victory and declared Oyetola the winner of the poll.
However, a minority judgment by Justice B. Ogbuli affirmed Adeleke as the winner of the poll.
But on Friday, Aside from setting aside the judgement of the tribunal, the Appeal Court, in its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal, awarded N500, 000 cost against the All Progressive Congress, APC, and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.