Adegboyega Oyetola, a candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), would challenge Senator Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun governorship election on July 16, 2022, before a panel of the Supreme Court today.
Initial results from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed Adeleke as the winner. However, Oyetola was declared the winner on January 27, 2023, after Adeleke’s victory was declared void by a tribunal panel chaired by Justice Tertse Kume, which significantly upended the current state of politics.
On March 24, an Appeal Court panel headed by Justice Mohammed Shaibu overturned the tribunal’s ruling in response, reinstating Adeleke’s victory and further complicating the situation.
Meanwhile, the adoption of final written addresses by the parties in the case has been set for today as a result of Oyetola’s appeal to the Supreme Court. Both parties must now present the court with their closing arguments and supporting evidence.
One of the lawyers for Adeleke, Hasim Abioye, revealed that the Supreme Court had listed the case involving the adoption of addresses. According to Abioye, their team will also make a cross-appeal at the hearing. The legality of exhibit BVR, a document on which the APC has relied, and the legality of the tribunal ruling itself are the two key issues of the cross-appeal.
The exhibit BVR issue revolves around a discrepancy in the dates on the certified true copy and the receipt. Adeleke’s team argues that this discrepancy undermines the legitimacy of the document. The cross-appeal also questions the co-authorship and validity of the tribunal judgment that initially annulled Adeleke’s victory.
Ada Peter
