The Court of Appeal Abuja Division is set to deliver judgement in an appeal by Governor Ademola Adeleke challenging the decision of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which sacked him from office.
In a judgment delivered on January 27, the Osun governorship petition tribunal sacked Adeleke and affirmed Oyetola as the duly elected governor of the state.
Two of the three-member panel held that Oyetola was able to prove that there was over-voting in some of the polling units.
Adeleke had rejected the judgment, describing it as “a miscarriage of justice” and “an unfair interpretation against the will of the majority of voters”.
On March 13, the court had reserved judgment after hearing submissions in the suit.
In the appeal marked CA/AK/EPT/GOV/01/2023, Adeleke is the appellant while Gboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are first and second respondents.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP are also joined as the third and fourth respondents in the suit.
A three-man panel led by Mohamed Shuaibu had reserved judgment at the last hearing after taking various arguments.
The Osun state tribunal had ordered Adeleke’s sacking and consequently directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to him and issue a fresh one to Gboyega Oyetola as the duly elected governor of Osun.
The tribunal held that Adeleke did not score the majority of lawful votes during the July 16 governorship election in the state.
Adeleke, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner of the governorship poll held on July 16
