Osun Guber: APC Directs Prayer And Fasting As Adeleke, Oyetola Know Fate Friday

There’s palpable anxiety in the camps of the incumbent Osun State Governor, Ademola Adedeji and his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola, as the Court of Appeal has fixed Friday, March 24 for judgement on the duly elected governor.

THE WHISTLER recalls that Adeleke defeated Oyetola during 2022 Osun State governorship election which was held on 16th July 2022.

Adeleke of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 403,371 votes against 375,027 votes scored by Oyetola of All Progressives Congress (APC) and was sworn in as the 5th executive governor of the state on November 27th 2022.

But Oyetola approached Election Petition Tribunal Panel, chaired by Justice Tertse Kume to challenge Adeleke’s declaration on two grounds of overvoting in over 740 polling units and certificate forgery.

In the judgement, all the three judges established that Adeleke forged certificate but held that he could not be sacked because he had obtained higher degrees.

The tribunal, however, sacked Adeleke on the ground of overvoting in the majority judgement of two against one. Delivering the judgement, Justice Tertse Kume declared that there was over-voting in 744 polling units, therefore the elections in the areas are cancel for all the political parties involved.

The votes garnered by both PDP and APC at the 744 polling units were deducted from the initial result, then Oyetola was declared winner because his votes remained 314,931 against Adeleke’s 219,666 votes.

However, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appealed the judgment joined by Adeleke and PDP against Oyetola and APC on 44 grounds. Similarly, Oyetola cross appealed the case over his claim of certificate forgery.

At the Court of Appeal, the final written addresses from parties were adopted and the sitting was adjourned for judgement at a later date which will be communicated to the counsel.

THE WHISTLER reliably gathered that Friday, March 24, has been fixed for the judgement and the parties involved have been communicated to because constitutionally, the time frame for the case to be attended to will be lapse on March 26th 2023.

The judgement date has raised apprehension in the camps of Adeleke and Oyetola over what the outcome of the court case will be.

The APC, through its Acting chairman, Tajudeen Lawal had directed that members of the party should embark on fasting and prayer for God to secure victory for them at the court as they will be delivering the judgement.

Similarly, the leadership of PDP through the caretaker chairman, Dr Adekunle Akindele had boasted that Adeleke will win his case at the court of Appeal because it is clear that Osun residents voted for him.