Jubilation Erupts as Appeal Court Gives Verdict on APC's Oyetola vs PDP's Adeleke

• An appeal court in Abuja has set aside the ruling of the Osun state governorship election petition tribunal that nullified the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke
• In a majority judgment, the tribunal ruled that Adeleke did not win the election and declared that Gboyega Oyetola of the APC was the winner of the poll
• However, Adeleke was displeased with the outcome of the tribunal and challenged the judgment at the court of appeal, which upheld his victory

FCT, Abuja - The court of appeal in Abuja has upheld the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the July 2022 governorship election in Osun state.

According to Channels Television, the appeal court set aside the Osun state governorship election petition ruling that nullified the governor's victory.

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Why the court reinstated Ademola Adeleke as Osun state governor

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner of the state's July 16, 2022, guber election.

According to INEC, Adeleke garnered 403,371 votes ahead of Oyetola, the then-incumbent governor, who polled 375,027 votes.

The APC and Oyetola rejected the election's outcome and challenged Adeleke's victory at the tribunal.

In January this year, in a ruling of majority verdict by the Tertse Kume-led 2-member panel, the tribunal annulled the election that produced Adeleke and upheld that Oyetola won the poll.

Latest about Ademola Adeleke, Gboyega Oyetola, APC, PDP, 2023 election

But a minority judgment by Justice B. Ogbuli held that Adeleke won the election.

Adeleke and the PDP, unsatisfied with the tribunal's judgment, approached the court of appeal.

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On Monday, March 13, 2023, the court of appeal listened to the argument of both parties and reserved its judgment.

But while giving its verdict on Friday, the appeal court set aside the tribunal's rulings.

However, the court has embarked on five minutes break and will give its final judgment on its return.

Osun guber tussle: Appeal court to deliver judgement on Adeleke’s fate Friday

Legit.ng earlier reported that the appeal court in Abuja had fixed Friday, March 24, to decide the fate of Governor Ademola Adeleke of the PDP on the nullification of his victory as the Osun state guber election tribunal.

Adeleke, in his appeal, prayed the court to dismiss the tribunal's judgment that nullified his election and declared Gboyega Oyetola of the APC as the poll winner.

The tribunal had in January ruled that Oyetola and the APC were able to establish that there was over-voting in the July 2022 election that produced Adeleke as governor of the state.

Source: Legit.ng