February 02, (THEWILL) – The Supreme Court, on Thursday, affirmed the participation of the former governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola and his deputy, Benedict Alabi, in the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the State.
This is coming less than two weeks after the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Osogbo, sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke as governor and declared Oyetola as the duly elected governor in the July 16 guber poll.
A Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, had in a judgement on September 30, 2022, nullified the participation of Oyetola and Alabi in the governorship election on the grounds that their nomination forms were endorsed by an acting Chairman of APC and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.
While the ruling was set aside last December by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, the PDP has approached the apex court to uphold the judgement of the Federal High Court.
Ruling on an application filed by the PDP, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Centus Nweze, held that the appeal by the PDP was without merit.
The court held that the PDP could not, under the law, question the process leading to the emergence of Oyetola and Alabi as candidates of the APC in the July 16 Osun governorship election.
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