Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun State, has announced he will challenge the decision to remove him from office.
The Osun State Race Petition Tribunal fired Adeleke on Friday and proclaimed Gboyega Oyetola the winner of the governorship election.
The panel overturned Adeleke’s election as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and decided that Oyetola, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate seeking a second term in office, had won the July 16 Osun governorship election.
The tribunal reduced the over-voting witnessed from the votes cast by the contestants and pronounced Oyetola the winner with 314,921 votes, while Adeleke received 290,266 votes.
Reacting to the judgement, Adeleke urged his supporters to remain calm and that he will appeal the judgement.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on our people to remain calm. We will appeal the judgement and we are sure justice will be done,” Adeleke tweeted.
“Let everyone be reassured that we will do everything possible to retain this widely acclaimed mandate. God bless Osun!”
Justice Tetsea Kume, while delivering a majority decision declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not comply substantially with the Constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Osun 2023: Court Dismisses Suit Seeking APC, Oyetola’s Disqualification
He subsequently deducted the over-voting observed from the votes scored by the candidates and declared that Oyetola won the election, having polled 314, 921, while Adeleke’s score came down to 290, 266.
The judge directed INEC to withdraw Adeleke’s certificate of return and issued another one to Oyetola who won a majority of the lawful votes.
INEC on Sunday, July 17 declared PDP candidate Adeleke as the winner of the Osun State governorship election.
The PDP candidate won 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Osun State governorship election.
APC candidate Oyetola won in the remaining 13 LGAs, according to results announced by INEC on Sunday morning.
In total Oyetola of the APC polled 375,027 votes while Adeleke of the PDP claimed 403,371 votes.
Adeleke, a former senator and younger brother to the state’s first governor, Isiaka Adeleke, defeated Oyetola, by a margin of about 44,426 votes.
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