Oyetola asks tribunal to nullify Adeleke’s election, says he presented forged certificates to INEC

Gboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun state, has challenged the outcome of the Osun governorship election at the election petition tribunal.

Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared the winner of the Osun governorship election which was held on July 16.

Adeleke secured 403,371 votes to defeat Oyetola of the APC, who got 375,027 votes.

In a petition dated August 5 and seen by TheCable, Oyetola is asking the court to nullify Adeleke’s election because he was not qualified to contest and that he was not elected by majority of the lawful votes cast.

In the suit, Oyetola is the first petitioner while the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the second petitioner. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adeleke and the PDP are first, second and third respondents respectively.

Oyetola said the second respondent forged the certificates submitted to INEC and did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“The Petitioners hereby plead and shall rely on Form EC8D (being the summary of collation of results) and Form EC8E (being the declaration of result) issued by the 1st Respondent, not only to show the recorded scores but also to demonstrate the invalidity of the scores recorded thereon,” the petition reads.

“The Petitioners plead and shall also rely on the Reports and evidence by their Experts, including Statisticians, Forensic Examiners and other witnesses, as well as the Report of Inspection and Production of Materials granted to the Petitioners by this Honourable Tribunal.

“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.”

The petition is signed by over 30 lawyers, including senior advocates of Nigeria.