Osun: Heavy Security As Appeal Court Decides Adeleke, Oyetola’s Fate Today

 

Ahead of Appeal Court ruling today in the case between Governor Ademola Adeleke and his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, security agents have taken over strategic areas in the state.

 

The security agencies include: the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and others.

 

The acting Public Relations Officer of the Command, Kehinde Adeleke, made this known in a statement, saying that the command is ready to prevent any breakdown and possible protest.

 

He said: “Ahead of Friday’s Appeal Court judgment on the matter between Governor Ademola Adeleke and Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola; there is strategic deployment of personnel around critical infrastructure in the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the July 16, governorship election in the state.

 

INEC said Adeleke polled 403,371 votes, to defeat then-incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (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, with the majority decision that sacked him from office, Adeleke took the case before the Court of Appeal.

 

The Court of Appeal heard the appeal on March 13 and reserved its judgment.

 

Speaking with PUNCH, the Osun State chapters of PDP and the APC expressed hope for victory, as the Court delivers judgment to determine the winner of the state governorship election.

 

Speaking on the expectations of the party, Osun PDP Director of Media, Oladele Olabamiji, said his party is hopeful that the Court of Appeal would restore Adeleke’s victory.

 

He said, “We are expecting justice for the electorate in Osun, who collectively voted for the state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke. We expect justice in line with the weight of evidence presented before the court.”

 

Also, the spokesperson for the Osun APC, Kola Olabisi, expressed optimism that the party would come out with flying colours.

 

He said, “We are optimistic that we are going to come out in flying colours because of our iron-cast evidence before the court”