BEVERLY HILLS, March 22, (THEWILL) – The Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja has declared as winner Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the 2018 governorship election in the state, Ademola Adeleke.
It held that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, were not validly returned.
The tribunal noted that the supplementary election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is illegal, null and void.
It therefore urged INEC to withdraw Oyetola’s certificate and issue a fresh certificate of return to Adeleke.
The tribunal also dismissed the objections filed by the APC and its candidate, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against the petition challenging their victory at the September 2018 election.
The PDP and its candidate had filed the petition urging the tribunal to declare that Adeleke polled the highest lawful votes and should be declared the winner.
Adeleke polled 254, 698 votes while Oyetola got 254, 345 votes (353 votes difference) before the poll was declared inconclusive and a supplementary election was called by INEC.
However, Oyetola, APC and INEC filed their notices of preliminary objection contending the court’s jurisdiction and petition’s competence.
Delivering the lead ruling of the three-man tribunal, Justice Peter Obi, dismissed the objections as misconceived before striking them out.
The tribunal added that it has jurisdiction to hear the petition.
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