TELL Magazine

The Osun State Governorship election petition tribunal has upheld that the petition of Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP challenging the victory of Isiaka Oyetola, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC has merit. 

It also rejected the objections filed by Oyetola against the petition as lacking in merit adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC failed to explain its actions to organise a re-run election to determine a winner between Adeleke and Oyetola. 

The tribunal said the APC and its candidate were not validly returned by INEC. 

What that means is that Adeleke is the winner of the controversial election, which has been used by the opposition PDP to protest the conduct of elections under the present dispensation. 

Adeleke, a senator representing Osun West Senatorial district is the younger brother of Isiaka Adeleke who died while representing the zone in the Senate. The younger Adeleke won the senatorial election on the platform of the PDP, to which he defected after he was denied ticket by APC. He thereafter ran for office of governor. 

The deceased Adeleke had been preparing for the governorship election before his demise. So Ademola Adeleke, not known to be a notable politician before his election to the senate, merely rode on his late brother’s popularity and sentiment that his death was politically motivated. 

However, while cuddling the victory at the tribunal, Adeleke faces a criminal case bordering on certificate forgery.