TELL Magazine

The different parties to the Osun state Governorship contest have reacted to the verdict of the tribunal on Friday. While Gboyega Oyetola, reportedly defeated at the July 2022 poll rejoices that his party was vindicated, Ademola Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun State, has described the judgement of the governorship tribunal as ” a miscarriage of justice”. He has therefore vowed to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

Reacting to the verdict of the Tribunal from his country home, Ede, Governor Adeleke faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of Mr Oyetola, calling it ” an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters”

According to a statement signed by Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to the Executive Governor, urging his supporters to remain calm, Governor Adeleke vowed to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal, insisting he remains the rightful winner of the July 16 election.

“I call on our people to remain calm. We will appeal the judgement and we are sure justice will be done. Let our people be reassured that we will do everything possible to retain this widely acclaimed mandate”, Governor Adeleke declared.

Terste Kume, chairman of Osun State Governorship Tribunal had on Friday, in a majority judgement, sacked Ademola Adeleke as governor of the state. In the lead judgement, the judge stated, “For the sake of emphasis, the total lawful votes for each of the candidates after the said deduction of the invalid votes is 314, 931 for the 1st Petitioner, and 290,666 for the 2nd Respondent”. He said Adeleke cannot dance “Buga ” on the erroneous belief that he won the election last year in July. The tribunal therefore ruled that Gboyega Oyetola, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC is the rightful winner of the election, having won the highest number of votes after the reconciliation of the valid votes at the poll. Oyetola, in his reaction, said the judgement was victory for the people of the state, even as he stated that it would advance the electoral system. He said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would no doubt be the greatest beneficiary of this ruling, as it would help it correct some of the anomalies that have been pointed out through the ruling, a thing that was our motivation in the first instance.”