Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja recently cancelled the election result that saw All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola emerge victorious and declared Adeleke as the valid winner of the September 2018 governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the development, Senator Adeleke tweeted “to God be the glory”.
APC has however said it does not accept the judgement, saying Governor Oyetola already filed against the tribunal’s stance and begged for calm.
INEC, had at the end of an initial election it conducted on September 22, scrapped results from seven polling units in four Local Government Areas in the state, and ordered a re run election.
At the end of the re-run election, INEC declared Oyetola winner which Senator Adeleke disagreed with and filed a petition before the tribunal challenging INEC’s declaration.
The tribunal revealed that the State Returning Officer acted above the power that was given to him under the Electoral Act when he cancelled results and ordered supplementary election in the affected areas.
They said, “We hold that the cancellation was unlawful and ultra-vires of his powers. The cancellation cannot stand, being a product of illegality”,
According to the tribunal, the Presiding Officers in polling units where the alleged electoral irregularities happened were the ones that could do that while report same to Ward Collation Officers.
Meawhile, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has hailed Senator Ademola Adeleke for his victory at the Tribunal.
He said, “I congratulate Senator Adeleke and the good people of Osun State on the restoration of their mandate. This is victory for the sanctity of the ballot box, victory for the rule of law, and indeed victory for democracy.
“It is for reasons such as the travesty visited on the people of Osun State that the National Assembly amended the constitution in 2010 and 2018 to set a timeframes for the determination of both election petitions and pre-election matters, respectively, to ensure that unlawful mandates are not enjoyed for long. I knew it wouldn’t take long and the true will of Osun people would prevail. It is indeed another Happy day for democracy”.
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