Adeleke vs Oyetola: Appeal court reserves judgment in Osun governorship dispute

The court of appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment in an appeal filed by Ademola Adeleke challenging his sack as Osun state governor.

Hearing in the appeal started at about 10am on Monday and is presided over by a three-member panel of the appellate court.

The panel of justices is led by M.F. Shuaibu.

Adeleke was represented by Onyechi Ikpeazu while Oyetola was represented by Lateef Fagbemi.

After taking submissions from the senior lawyers, the court reserved judgment for a date that would be communicated to parties in the suit.

In the appeal marked CA/AK/EPT/GOV/01/2023, Adeleke is the appellant while Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are first and second respondents.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP are also joined as the third and fourth respondent in the suit.

TheCable had reported how the Osun governorship election petition tribunal ruled in favour of Gboyega Oyetola, former governor of the state.

Delivering judgment on January 27, two out of the three-member panel held that Oyetola was able to prove that there was over-voting in some of the polling units.

Adeleke had rejected the judgment, describing it as “a miscarriage of justice” and “an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters”.

In the 31 grounds of appeal, Adeleke is praying the court for “an order setting aside the whole decision of the tribunal”.

He is also seeking “an order striking out the petition for want of competence and jurisdiction or in the alternative, an order dismissing the petition on the merit”.

Adeleke submitted that the tribunal exhibited bias when it said: “The second respondent cannot ‘go lo lo lo lo’ and ‘buga won’ as the duly elected governor of Osun state.”