By Martina Enwefa
ABUJA /Nigeria: The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ademola Adeleke in the September, 2018 Osun State Governorship Election had been declared the winner of the election by the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja, as the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa hailing the Tribunal Ruling.
The 3-man tribunal upheld the petitions filed by Adeleke and the PDP, challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Gboyega Oyetola at the September 2018 governorship election.
The tribunal had earlier dismissed the objections of the APC and Oyetola. It said Adeleke’s petition has merit. The tribunal also declared the rerun election as illegal.
The PDP and Adeleke, had filed a petition asking the tribunal to declare that he polled the highest lawful votes and should be declared the winner.
But Oyetola, APC and INEC had filed their notices of preliminary objection contending among others that the petition was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction.
A three -member panel of the tribunal , dismissed the objections filed by Gov. Oyetola, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Both Adeleke and the PDP in their different petitions had urged the tribunal to declare that he scored the highest lawful votes in the election and should be declared as winner.
However, Oyetola, APC and INEC filed their notices of preliminary objection against the petition on the grounds that the petition is incompetent adding that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the petition.
Delivering the lead ruling of the three-man tribunal, Chairman Ibrahim Sirajo, held that the objections were misconceived and struck them out.
The Tribunal held that the CTC should and must be an exact replica of the EC8A pink copies.
The discrepancies must therefore be explained and justified by INEC.
In this instance, the tribunal held, INEC failed to explain nor justify the alterations and that they failed to call any witness to justify the alterations. The tribunal held that the attempt to explain the alterations on the basis of mere corrections of errors is not acceptable and the fact that the said errors were consistently made in the disputed areas means it was a deliberate action taken.
Triumph For Democracy — Okowa
Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has congratulated Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on his declaration by the Osun State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal as winner of the 2018 Osun State Governorship Election.
Governor Okowa in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Aniagwu on Friday in Asaba described Adeleke’s victory at the tribunal as “triumph over anti-democratic forces”.
He lauded the judiciary for once again coming to the rescue, stressing that the people of Osun didn’t make any mistake in voting for the PDP because of the party’s legacy of infrastructure and human capital development
Governor Okowa while commending the judiciary for upholding the sanctity of the peoples mandate, thanked Osun people for their support to the PDP and Senator Adeleke.
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I congratulate our party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and our candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke on our hard earned victory at the Elections tribunal today. Osun State, her friends and neighbours waited with baited breath for this favourable judgment, adding “The Tribunal’s affirmation of your election is a fulfillment of the clearly expressed wish of the people of your dear state.
“The judgement of the tribunal in this case is a victory for our democracy and a reaffirmation of the divine mandate freely given to you and the PDP by the people of Osun State and commended the Tribunal for ensuring the sanctity of the people’s mandate,” he said.
