There were mixed feelings at the court premises on Friday at the Osun State Election Tribunal held at the Osogbo High Court, after the Tribunal declared Oyetoa as the governor-elect and nullified the earlier victory announced for Adeleke.
The Interviews Nigeria earlier reported that the Tribunal ruling was given on Friday by a –three-man panel led by Justice Kume.
The Tribunal led by Justice Tetsea Kume in a split judgment of 2-1 declared that Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) should withdraw the Certificate of Return from Governor Adeleke and issue another one to Adegboyega Oyetola
While annulling the July 16 Osun governorship election, the Tribunal held that INEC did not comply with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as the Electoral Act as amended.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) governorship candidate, the winner of the July 16, 2022, election.
The Returning officer for the election, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, announced that Adeleke got a total of 403,371 votes, beating the incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Party(APC), who scored 375,027 votes in the keenly contested election.
In the election held across the 3,763 polling units in Osun’s 30 local government areas, the PDP won 17 of the LGAs, while the APC recorded more votes in the remaining 13.
The PDP won in Ede North, Ede South, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Egbedore, Odo-otin, Osogbo, Ila, Atakumosa West, Olorunda, Ilesa West, Obokun, Oriade, Orolu, Ife North, Irepodun and Ejigbo LGAs.
The APC, on the other hand, won in Boripe, Ilesa East, Ayedire, Ifedayo, Ife central, Ayedaade, Iwo, Olaoluwa, Isokan, Atakumosa East, Irewole, Ife South and Ife East LGAs.
Out of the I,955,657 registered voters in the State, 1,479,595 Permanent Voter Cards were collected before the election.
Adeleke’s victory raised the PDP –governed States’ tally to 14, with the ruling APC States dropped to 21.
However, the hope of Adeleke and the PDP was dashed on Friday after the Tribunal annulled the result of the July 16 governorship polls.
While delivering a majority decision vote, Justice Tetsea Kume ruled that INEC did not comply substantially with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He deducted the over-voting observed from the votes scored by the candidates and declared Oyetola the winner of the election, having polled 314 , 921, while Adeleke’s score came down to 290, 266.
He consequently directed INEC to withdraw Adeleke’s Certificate of Return and issue another one to Oyetola who won a majority of the lawful votes cast.
Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke and the PDP have rejected the judgment of the Tribunal and have vowed to contest the outcome at the Appeal court.
There were pockets of protests by some youths,PDP members and sympathizers of Adeleke with various placards and inscriptions condemning the judgment of the Tribunal.
In his own reaction, Adeleke tagged the Tribunal judgement as “miscarriage of Justice”and therefore, would head to the Appeal Court.