Tight security as Appeal Court decides Adeleke, Oyetola’s suit today

The Osun State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress have expressed hope for victory, as the Court of Appeal in Abuja, today, delivers judgment to determine the winner of the July 16 governorship election in Osun State.

Also, the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said it had deployed personnel to critical infrastructure in the state ahead of the judgment.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had returned Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP as the winner of the poll.

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

A member of Oyetola and APC legal team, Mr. Muhydeen Adeoye, told our correspondent on Thursday that the Court of Appeal had notified the parties that the judgment would be delivered today.

Speaking on the expectations of the party, Osun PDP Director of Media, Oladele Olabamiji, said his party was 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, Mr. Kola Olabisi, also expressed optimism that the party would come out in flying colours.

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

Meanwhile, a statement by the acting Public Relations Officer of the Command, Kehinde Adeleke, 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.

“There will also be patrol by armed detachment of the corps in readiness for emergency response. The command is ready to prevent any breakdown of law and order arising from possible protests by aggrieved parties.”