Adegboyega Oyetola, the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the Osun State governorship election, has approached the Court of Appeal to further seek the disqualification of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on July 17 announced Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as winner of the July 16, 2022 poll.
Former Governor Oyetola and the APC challenged the victory on the grounds that there was over-voting and that Adeleke was not eligible to run at the time.
The Tribunal said though Oyetola and APC proved a case of forgery against the Osun Governor, it was not enough to make him ineligible since he had acquired additional qualifications.
The Tribunal however held that there was indeed over-voting and it deducted the invalid votes from the valid votes and declared Oyetola as winner of that election.
Dissatisfied, INEC, Adeleke, and the PDP have appealed the judgement. The governor last week expressed confidence that he’ll defeat his predecessor.
The cross-appeal by Oyetola and the APC is being defended by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and Akin Olujimi, SAN.
They argue that the Tribunal misdirected itself when it held that the certificate from Atlanta Metropolitan College and a diploma certificate from Penn Foster High School are genuine.
Tribunal Sacks Adeleke As Osun Governor, Declares Oyetola Winner
The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo on Friday, January 27, 2023, has sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke as the duly elected governor of the state.
The tribunal in a split document of two to one is declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Adeleke and issued same to former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
The majority judgement which was read by the Chairman, Justice Tertse Kume said Oyetola scored the majority lawful votes of 314,931 against Adeleke’s 290,266.
The minority judgement is ongoing.
‘Former governors go with their official cars’ – Osun Speaker Counters Adeleke
Timothy Owoeye, the speaker of Osun House of Assembly, on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, said the state law empowers governors, their deputies, and some top public officials to go with their official vehicles when they retire from office.
Owoeye made this known during plenary while reacting to the call made by Gov. Ademola Adeleke, asking the former governor Gboyega Oyetola, his deputy, cabinet members, and some public office holders who served under the previous administration, to return the official vehicles in their custody.
The speaker said, according to the State Public Office Holders (payment of pension and severance packages) Bill 2018, signed into law in 2019, the former governor is empowered to go away with his official vehicles.
He, however, invited the secretary to the state government (SSG), Mr Teslim Igbalaye, and the state chief of Staff, Mr Kasim Akinleye, to come for a holistic discussion on the matter.
“I want to call on the SSG and Chief of Staff to let us discuss this matter holistically,” the Osun speaker said.
“Apart from the fact that we have a Public Office Holders (payment of pension and severance packages) Law, that was passed in 2019, I will not say anything further until I see the SSG and Chief of Staff.
“Both of them are not summoned to appear before the Assembly but to let us come together for discussion.
“There are so many things we can settle without denting the image of anybody,” the speaker said.
Similarly, the speaker said the issue of the total debt profile of the state was being investigated by a 10-man committee of the Assembly, empowered by Sections 128 and 129 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999).
He said the sections of the constitution allow the Assembly to investigate further, the real debt profile of the state, which the Assembly initiated on December 21, 2022.
Source: Daily Post
