Osun governorship election: INEC appeals tribunal judgement, list 44 issues

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has appealed the Osun State governorship election tribunal judgement that was delivered in favour of Adeogboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The election which was conducted on July 16, 2022 was won by the Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but was petitioned by the former governor who cited irregularities.

In the Notice of Appeal dated 30th January 2023, filed before the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, obtained in Osogbo on Wednesday, the commission listed 44 issues of appeal and asked the court, to set aside the judgement of the Tribunal which favoured Oyetola.

INEC which is the appeallant in the case asked the Court of Appeal in Akure to set aside the tribunal judgement for lacking merit and other issues considered strong enough to quash the judgement against the Ademola Adeleke.
The Justice Tertsea Kume-led Tribunal had nullified Adeleke’s victory and declared Oyetola as the duly elected governor at the poll in its judgement of January 27, 2023.

The tribunal cited over-voting in 744 polling units in Osun State, noting that after deduction of the excess, votes garnered by Ademola Adeleke was lower that that of Adegboyega Oyetola, hence, the reasons for the nullification.

But in a minority judgement delivered by another member of the panel, Justice A. Ogbuli, he dismissed APC’s petition and upheld Adeleke’s victory at the poll.

Also in the Notice of Appeal signed by counsel to INEC, Prof. Paul Ananaba (SAN) and 17 others, the Commission challenged the decision of the Tribunal on the grounds that the panel erred in law by claiming that Adeleke did not score the majority of the lawful votes, saying the petitioners only called two witnesses who did not prove that the PDP candidate did not win the election.