Why Did The Tribunal Sacked Osun Governor Adeleke?

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Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration in Osun State came to an end on Friday when the Osun Election Petitions Tribunal sacked him. His presidency lasted only 62 days!

While annulling the July 16 Osun governorship election results, the tribunal found that the Independent National Electoral Commission violated the provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution as well as the Electoral Act as amended.

According to the PUNCH, Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, was declared the winner of the July 16 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, the Returning Officer for the election and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, announced that Adeleke received 403,371 votes, defeating incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC, who received 375,027 votes in the hotly contested race.

The PDP won 17 of Osun’s 30 local government areas in the election held across 3,763 polling units, while the APC received more votes in the remaining 13. Ede North, Ede South, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Egbedore, Odo Otin, Osogbo, Ila, Atakumosa West, Olorunda, Ilesa West, Obokun, Oriade, Orolu, Ife North, Irepodun, and Ejigbo LGAs were all won by the PDP.

Boripe, Ilesa East, Ayedire, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Ayedaade, Iwo, Olaoluwa, Isokan, Atakumosa East, Irewole, Ife South, and Ife East LGAs were won by the APC. Before the election, 1,479,595 Permanent Voter Cards were collected from the state’s 1,955,657 registered voters.

According to the PUNCH, Adeleke’s victory increased the number of PDP-governed states to 14, while the ruling APC-governed states fell to 21.

The hope of Adeleke, known for his dancing abilities and affectionately known as the ‘Dancing Senator,’ was dashed on Friday when the tribunal annulled the result of the July 16 governorship election.

Justice Tetsea Kume ruled in a majority decision vote that INEC did not comply substantially with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.

He then subtracted the observed over-voting from the votes cast for the candidates and declared that Oyetola had won the election with 314, 921 votes, while Adeleke received 290, 266.

He directed INEC to revoke Adeleke’s certificate of return and issue a new one to Oyetola, who received a majority of valid votes.

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