Victor EzejaOsun State governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has indicated his readiness to defend his victory at the election petition tribunal.
Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was declared winner of the Osun State governorship held on July 16, 2022 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), expressed his confidence in retaining the mandate.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe incumbent Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who was the closest rival defeated by Adeleke in the polls, has challenge the outcome of the governorship election at the election petition tribunal.
Adeleke scored 403,371 votes to defeat who got 375,027 votes as declared by INEC.
Oyetola in a petition filed on Friday, August 5, is seeking the disqualification of Adeleke’s election on the ground that he was not qualified to contest and was also not validly elected through majority lawful votes cast during the polls.
Details in the petition indicate that Governor Oyetola is the first petitioner while APC is the second petitioner. INEC, Adeleke and PDP are the first respondent, second and third respondents respectively.
Oyetola claimed in the petition that the second respondent (Adeleke) forged certificates submitted to INEC and did not comply with the Electoral Act 2022.
Part of the petition reads: “The 2nd Respondent was, at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the election. The Petitioners aver that the 2nd Respondent did not possess the educational qualification to contest the election to the office of Governor of Osun State held on Saturday, 16th July 2022 conducted by the 1st Respondent.
“The Petitioners contend that the 2nd Respondent was, at the material time, not qualified to contest election to the office of the Governor of Osun State for having presented forged certificates to the 1st Respondent. The Petitioners say that the Diploma Certificate of Penn Foster High School purportedly awarded on the 16th day of July, 2021 and submitted by the 2nd Respondent along with his Form EC9 to the 1st Respondent, was forged.
“The Petitioners further say that the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice purportedly awarded by Atlanta Metropolitan State College and submitted by the 2nd Respondent along with his Form EC9 to the 1st Respondent, was forged. The Petitioners further plead that the 2nd Respondent had also previously in 2018 submitted a forged certificate to the 1st Respondent herein along with his Form C.F.001.
“The Petitioners say that in an attempt to meet the educational qualification requirement to contest the governorship election in Osun State scheduled for the 16th day of July, 2022, The 2nd Respondent submitted to the 1st Respondent a Form EC 9 – Affidavit in Support of Personal Particulars – whereof in Column C which required him to state the schools he attended beginning with Primary School and educational qualifications with dates, he indicated that he attended Muslim Grammar Sch. Ede between 1976 – 1981 without stating what qualification he obtained, if any, from that School.
“The 2nd Respondent did not indicate which Primary School he attended, if any, and what qualifications, if any, he obtained therefrom. In the said Form EC 9, the 2nd Respondent indicated that he attended Penn Foster High School whereat he purportedly obtained a High School Diploma in 2021; the 2nd Respondent also indicated in the said Column Cof his form EC9 – Affidavit in Support of Personal Particulars – that he obtained B.Sc. in Criminal Justice from Atlanta Metropolitan State College in 2021. The Petitioners shall rely on a certified true copy of the said Form EC 9 – Affidavit in Support of Personal Particulars – filled and submitted by the 2nd Respondent to the 1st Respondent.”
Reacting to the petition filed by Oyetola at the election tribunal, Adeleke said his emergence as governor-elect was entrenched in total compliance with the electoral laws and in the will of the people.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Osogbo by Adeleke’s spokesman, Malam Olawale Rasheed, the governor-elect, disclosed that the PDP’s Legal Department was taking appropriate action on the petition and urged his supporters to remain calm
He claimed that the election was adjudged to be one of the most transparent in recent history Nigeria’s democracy, adding that the people’s mandate, would be vehemently defended.
The statement reads “This divine victory cannot be stolen through the backdoor.
“I urge the good people of Osun who voted massively to reject bad governance to remain calm.
“We are doing the needful to defend their mandate.
“We will do all within our powers to ensure judicial validation of our victory as this is an election globally certified as a great advancement in electoral transparency and integrity.
“We also want to reaffirm our faith in the judiciary as a bastion of hope and justice.
“We have unshakeable trust in God that this election petition shall end in another landmark victory for us and the resilient people of Osun,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the popular singer, David Adeleke popularly known as Davido has called on the sitting governor, Oyetola to accept the victory of Senator Adeleke.
In a tweet on Saturday, Davido who is a nephew to the governor-elect, charged Oyetola to congratulate Adeleke.
He wrote, “Your excellency sir, @GboyegaOyetola, when will you congratulate the incoming governor of your state, @AAdeleke_01?”
“In 2018 my uncle congratulated you even though it was stolen … do the right thing baba .. one love,” the music star added.
According to the total votes recorded by INEC during the electoral exercise last month, the PDP won 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas of the state, while the APC won the remaining 13.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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