The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal said the rerun election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 27, 2018, in Osun state is illegal thus Senator Adeleke, the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election was the winner.
The three-member panel deducted the votes scored by the APC candidate Gboyega Oyetola at the rerun after declaring the rerun illegal.
The tribunal said Senator Adeleke won the election at the first ballot on September 22 and the rerun that INEC devised to reach a final conclusion a week later was illegal.
“The declaration of Oyetola is null and void,” the tribunal ruled in a majority decision with one member dissenting.
“The petitioner (Mr Adeleke) having fulfilled the constitutional requirements and scored the majority lawful vote is declared winner and returned as governor.
“The rerun in the seven cancelled units are hereby declared null and void and of no electoral effect.”
The tribunal ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return issued to Oyetola and ordered that a new certificate of return be issued to Adeleke.
Recalled that in the first ballot in the Osun governorship election, the PDP candidate won majority votes of 254,698 votes while Mr Oyetola of the APC came a close second with 254,345 votes with a difference of 354 votes.
354 votes, was lower than the cancelled votes which were 3,498 hence INEC declared the re-run in seven polling units.
At the end of the supplementary election, the PDP’s initial victory had been upturned and Oyetola was declared the winner of the poll. At the end of the tally of votes, the APC candidate scored a total of 255,505 votes while the PDP candidate scored a total of 255,023 votes.
However, with the cancellation of the rerun election by the tribunal, the initial result was recognised thus leading the tribunal to declare Adeleke the winner.
Wild jubilation in Adeleke’s home town in Osun
There was wild jubilation in Ede, Osun state, the hometown of Senator Ademola Adeleke on Friday, following the tribunal judgement which upheld his election.
The tribunal which sat in Abuja had declared Adeleke winner of the September 2018 governorship election in Osun state.
Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well people of Ede were seen dancing and singing victory song.
At the country home of Adeleke, large crowd were seen within and outside his premises singing and dancing.
Okada riders, in their large numbers, were also seen using their motorcycles to display different skills to celebrate the victory.
Speaking on the victory, Senator Adeleke’s elder sister, Dupe Adeleke-Sanni, commended the judiciary for retrieving the ‘stolen mandate‘. Adeleke-Sanni, who said she dedicated the victory to God and his late brother Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, said the victory was well-deserved.
“We thank God for returning our stolen mandate.
“It is not by our might or power but by the grace of God that we have the mandate back,” she said.
She, however, commended the people of Ede for standing with the family during the trying period, urging them to continue to stand with them.
