Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Osun State, are in anxious wait as the Supreme Court today (Tuesday) determines the authentic winner of the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the state.
Recall that the PDP candidate, sitting Governor Ademola Adeleke, was returned elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but the APC candidate at the poll, deposed Governor Gboyega Oyetola, rejected the result and approached the Election Petition Tribunal to challenge it.
The INEC had declared that Adeleke polled 403,371 votes, to defeat then incumbent governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC, who got 375,027 votes.
But Oyetola and the APC rejected the result of the poll and headed for the tribunal.
In its January 27, 2023 majority verdict, the Justice Tertse Kume-led Tribunal annulled Adeleke’s victory and declared Oyetola the winner of the poll.
However, a minority judgment by Justice B. Ogbuli affirmed Adeleke as the winner of the poll.
Displeased, Adeleke and the PDP headed for the Court of Appeal which, on March 24, nullified the Tribunal’s judgment and returned Adeleke as winner.
Oyetola and the PDP, who were dissatisfied with the judgment, then headed for the Supreme Court, which held the matter on Monday and fixed judgment for today (Tuesday).
At the sitting of the apex court panel that heard the matter, on Monday, the parties adopted their briefs and addressed the court after which the panel announced Tuesday for judgment.
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Speaking on the expectations of the party, Osun State APC spokesperson, Mr. Kola Olabisi, said his Party was expecting victory, having done well in presenting its case before the panel.
His words, “We are hoping for the best because of our watertight case. Everybody should go about their business. There should be no room for any form of crisis.”
On his part, the state’s PDP Director of Media, Mr. Oladele Olabamiji, while speaking on the expectations ahead of the judgment, also said the Party was expecting the apex court to uphold the verdict of the Court of Appeal that validated Adeleke’s victory in the governorship poll.
“We are positive as usual, we are expecting nothing but justice to uphold the judgment of the appeal court which upheld the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke. We believe and trust in God,” Olabamiji said.
