Tribunal overturns Adeleke’s election as governor of Osun and declares Oyetola the winner

Ademola Adeleke’s election as the new governor of Osun State has been ruled invalid by the Osun State Governorship Election Complaints Tribunal.

The tribunal ruled on Friday, recognising Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the state’s legitimately elected governor.

In its ruling on Friday, the tribunal said that there were too many votes in the race for governor. It also said that when the extra votes were taken away, Oyetola’s total went up to 314,921, while Adeleke’s went down to 290,266.

As a result, the tribunal presided over by Justice Terste Kume gave INEC the order to revoke the certificates of return given to Adeleke and his running mate, Kola Adewusi. It stipulated that Oyetola should receive the certificate of return in its place.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Adeleke defeated Oyetola in the state election held on July 16, 2023.

Adeleke received 403,371 votes, compared to Oyetola’s 375,027, and INEC proclaimed Adeleke the winner.

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Despite the fact that there were 13 other candidates for governor of Osun, Adeleke and Oyetola won the majority of the vote.

In the state governorship election, the PDP candidate won in 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs). Oyetola of the APC, however, took control of the remaining 13 LGAs.

Oyetola filed a petition at the tribunal disputing the proclamation of Adeleke as the election’s winner after being dissatisfied with the electoral umpire’s decision.

He argued for the election’s annulment, citing, among other things, allegations of overvoting, irregularities in some voting booths, and the veracity of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate produced by the PDP candidate.

Adeleke Dislikes Decision

In the meantime, Governor Adeleke has criticised the verdict, calling it “a miscarriage of justice.” Additionally, he promised to fight the decision because it is “an unreasonable interpretation against the will of the majority of people,” according to him.

“I urge everyone to maintain their composure. In a statement sent by his spokeswoman Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke was reported as stating, “We will appeal the judgement and we are confident that justice will be served. Let our folks know that we will work tirelessly to uphold this well regarded mandate.