The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor election on July 16, 2022, Ademola Adeleke, was confirmed as the Governor of Osun State by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The announcement was issued on Tuesday by the five-member Supreme Court panel, which was chaired by Justice John Okoro.
The decision upholding the Court of Appeal’s decision recognising Adeleke as governor of Osun State was read out by Justice Emmanuel Agim.
The supreme court ruled that Oyetola had not shown sufficient proof to support his claim that there had been over voting in the governorship election on July 16, 2022.
The panel also unanimously held that the failure of the election tribunal in Osun to consider the preliminary objections raised by Adeleke and the PDP at the trial level amounted to detail of fair hearing and rendered the entire proceeding a nullity.
Following a previous Court of Appeal ruling, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and former governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, approached the Supreme Court.
Recall that on March 25, the appeal court upheld Adeleke’s victory in the 16th Governor’s Election.
An earlier ruling of the Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which favoured Oyetola and dismissed Adeleke, had been overturned by the Appeal Court in its ruling.
Oyetola and the APC, who were happy with the Court of Appeals’ ruling, complained to the Supreme Court over alleged overvoting in the state’s governorship election.
Ada Peter
