Osun Governorship: Oyetola wins final battle at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday, finally put to rest, the contest for who is the authentic governor of Osun State.

The Apex Court quashed the appeal of Senator Ademola Adeleke of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and ruled, that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was the winner of the state’s governorship election held last year.

In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, on behalf of the five judges, the court ruled that the proceedings and judgment of trial tribunal was a nullity on the grounds that Justice J. Obiora was absence on Feb. 26. The two desenting judges were Justice Kumai Akaah and Justice Paul Galinje.

Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Ademola Adeleke, had approached the apex court following the decision of the appeal court which pronounced Gov. Oyetola as the winner of the election. Adeleke requested the court to uphold the ruling of the Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that pronounced him the legal winner of the election and discard the judgment by the appeal court.

But the legal cousel of Oyetola, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) together with the counsel representing the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr Yusuf Ali (SAN), and the All Progressives Congress counsel, Olumide Olujinmi, urged the apex court to dismiss the appeal and retain Oyetola as the governor. On May 9, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal nullified the judgment of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which declared Adeleke, as the winner of the September 2018 poll.

INEC had declared Oyetola and the APC the winner of the Osun State governorship election on the basis of the cumulative results of the September 22, 2018, main election and the Sept. 27, 2018, supplementary poll.