Tag: Adegboyega oyetola

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Osun Governorship: Supreme Court Will Still Favour Me – Adeleke Tells Oyetola

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has told former Governor Gboyega Oyetola that he will lose at the Supreme Court.
This is as Oyetola prepares to challenge the election at the Supreme Court.
According to Adeleke, he will still be favoured by the Supreme Court if Oyetola decides to approach the court.
Adeleke was reacting to the appeal court that upheld his victory at the last year’s governorship election in Osun State.
The Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in January held that Oyetola was able to prove that there was over-voting in some of the polling units.
But in its judgment on Friday, the Appeal Court overturned the ruling of the petition tribunal.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Adeleke said, “The Appeal Court has cleared everything and affirmed me as the authentic governor of Osun State. I have to thank the people of Osun State for their massive support. I dedicate this victory to God and the people.
 
“Democracy is at play here. If they feel like they should go to the Supreme Court, so be it. We shall meet at the Supreme Court. What gives the confidence is that my people love me and they voted for me massively. And the Appeal Court has vindicated that. There was no over voting. Our party, the PDP won all the three senate seats. We won everything.
 
“The Appeal Court is a high court. The judgment is a water-tight judgment. No any reasonable judge would go otherwise. Even if they go to the Supreme Court, it will still favour me.”
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You Don’t Deserve Oyetola’s Congratulatory Message – Osun APC Tells Adeleke

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has replied Senator Ademola Adeleke after he lamented that he’s yet to get congratulatory message his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola.
APC on Tuesday said there is nothing justifiable to warrant such over a subsisting election matter which will soon be challenged at the Supreme Court.
It will be recalled that Adeleke in an interview with Arise Television on Monday had stated that he was expecting a congratulatory message from Oyetola, the APC governorship candidate, in the July 16, 2023 election who was adjudged the winner of the election by the Justice Tertsea Kumeh-led governorship election petition tribunal but reversed by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, last Friday.
But, the party in a statement by its spokesperson, Chief Adekola Olabisi on behalf of the state Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal maintained, “I don’t understand the thinking of Adeleke. Is he saying that Oyetola should congratulate him for killing APC members?
 
“If Adeleke has conscience, does he want to pretend that he wasn’t aware that his party, the PDP, turned Osun State to a killing field before, during and after the elections, the results of which he is dubiously flaunting to feign non-existing popularity and acceptability?
 
“Adeleke will have to wait till eternity for a congratulatory message from Oyetola whom he robbed in the daylight during the elections that were won for him by the militia wing of his administration.”
 
“If congratulatory messages are being sold in an open market, it is not an hyperbolic expression to state that our candidate, Oyetola, cannot extend one to you for one Kobo.”
 
“Why would a potential respondent in the Supreme Court in an extant matter demand for a congratulatory message from an appelant if not for an ulterior motive or lack of knowledge of the workings of the judicial endeavours?
 
“Adeleke does not merit Oyetola’s congratulatory message as it is being forcefully demanded by the governor as it is not for frivolous ventures.
 
“Such a request for a congratulatory message by Adeleke from Oyetola sounds funny and bizarre when it was the PDP hoodlums who invaded some of the polling units and collation centres to rig the flaunted elections which could better be described as charades, for Adeleke.
 
“If the demand for a congratulatory message from Oyetola is another stratagem being hatched by the PDP’s tacticians in the state, it has missed its target as there’s no way that it can fly.
 
“This is a follow-up to the subtle pressure being put on Oyetola not to access the Supreme Court since about three days ago which was kick-started by the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA); one charge-and-bail activist lawyer Olajengbesi; Diran Odeyemi and the expired state caretaker committee chairman of the PDP, Dr Akindele Adekunle, among other apologists of the PDP”, the state APC acting chairman said.
He however posited that, there is no need for them to be developing a cold feet about or phobia for the Supreme Court on the subsisting Osun governorship logjam if truly there’s no skeleton in their cupboards.
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Oyetola Has Not Congratulated Me – Adeleke

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has said that the immediate past governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, has not congratulated him after his Appeal Court victory.

Adeleke who said he was open to working with the former governor said he had yet to hear from Oyetola.

The governor said this when he featured on Arise TV Morning Show on Monday.

“Immediately after the news of the Appeal Court (judgement), I tried to reach out, I called him – the former Governor Oyetola – to let us forge ahead to move Osun forward, but up till now, he has not called me to congratulate me and I’m still hoping that he will do that because we don’t have any other state than Osun State here. So, I’m ready, my hands are open, let’s come together and move Osun State forward,” Adeleke said.

When asked what he would like to say to Oyetola, Adeleke made a U-turn on reaching out to Oyetola, saying he never called the former governor.

“Well let me correct it, I did not say I put a call to him, what I said is I’m still expecting him to call me so that he can congratulate me, and if he wants to do otherwise and go ahead to the Supreme Court, he has the right to do that,” the governor said.

He reiterated that he would like to work with Oyetola.

The governor also said he was not afraid of the Supreme Court, saying he had his people and God on his side.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, last Friday, set aside the tribunal judgment that nullified the election of Adeleke as governor of the state.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal, held that the appeal lodged by Adeleke to challenge his sack by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was meritorious.

The court also awarded a sum of N500,000 as a cost against the All Progressive Congress and its candidate, Oyetola.

During the ruling, the justice resolved that the preponderance of proof that there was over-voting in the elections rested on the petitioner.

The court also maintained that “the party alleging non-compliance with the electoral act must prove its case without merely relying on the weakness of the other party.”

Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Shaibu overruled the judgment of the governorship election tribunal that nullified the outcome of the July governorship polls.

The three-man panel revoked the tribunal’s order which directed that a Certificate of Return be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to his predecessor and All Progressives Congress candidate, Oyetola.

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Oyetola Reacts To Appeal Court Judgement Against Him

Former Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola has broken his silence after the Appeal Court on Friday ruled against him.
According to him, there is ground for him and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, to approach the Supreme Court over the judgement of the Appeal Court.
Reacting to the Appeal Court judgement which upturned the decision of the Tribunal that initially sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke, Oyetola noted that his belief in the judiciary also remains unshaken.
Oyetola in a statement issued by his media aide, Ismail Omipidan said the from the snippet available from the judgement, there are solid ground to seek further redress at the Apex Court.
He appealed to members and supporters of the APC to remain calm and not to be discouraged over the outcome of the Friday’s appeal, saying his abiding faith in God to reclaim his mandate remains undoubted.
The statement partly reads; “We have heard the judgement of the Appeal Court, but we are yet to receive a copy of the judgement.
 
“However, from the snippets we are getting, we believe we have a potential ground to approach the Supreme Court. Our belief in the judiciary remains unshaken, just as my abiding faith in the God’s promise regarding the reclaim of my mandate remains undoubted.
 
“I, therefore, appeal to our supporters and party members to remain calm as we take the next step.”
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See How Nigerians Reacted After Appeal Court Reinstated Adeleke As Osun Governor

Nigerians have reacted after the Appeal Court on Friday upheld the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State.

The Appeal Court set aside the decision of the Osun State Governorship tribunal which sacked Adeleke as the governor of the state and affirmed the victory of Adeleke.

Recall that the former governor of the state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola, had challenged Adeleke’s victory in the July 16 governorship election, before the election petition tribunal in Osun state.

The tribunal led by Justice Tertse Kume, in a split judgement of 2 to 1, sacked Adeleke based on irregularities in 744 polling units across ten local government areas of the state.

It canceled the alleged illegal votes and declared Oyetola the winner on legally valid votes.

The tribunal had also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Adeleke and issue it to Oyetola.

In a ruling on Friday, the court ruled that the APC and Oyetola failed to prove its over-voting case against Adeleke.

Following the development, netizens took to the micro-blogging platform, Twitter to express their reactions to the ruling of the appellate court.

See some of the reactions below.

@ManLikeIcey wrote: “CONFIRMED: Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke remains Governor of the State. The appeal court ruled in his favor. Congratulations to the great people of Osun State.”

@Shakur_Dml wrote: “I think Oyetola should rest at this point. He lost and it’s clear the people don’t want him.”

@great_igie wrote: “The people’s governor has been reinstated. Congratulations to Osun State.”

@66612Umoh wrote: “Great! This is good for our democracy, congratulations Mr governor!”

@DaddyboyI wrote: “Very Good judgment for our democracy.”

@toninny wrote: “Oyetola go Supreme Court, let them disqualify you once more so you can allow Adeleke to face his job.”

@iamLABOD wrote: “That is the will of God and that is the will of the Osun masses too. If not for rigging, this man should be doing his second-year tenure now. Osun people want him, and he is performing for them already. So, therefore, let no man worry Imole again.”

@Alexander11426 wrote: “Congratulations Gov. Adeleke. We hope and pray for victory for Peter Obi also. Amen.“

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How Governor Adeleke Won at Appeal Court, Oyetola Fined N500,000

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday slammed N500,000 fine on the All Progressives and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola as it set aside the tribunal judgment that nullified the election of Ademola Adeleke as governor of Osun State.
The unanimous decision was given by a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal.
Adeleke to challenge his sack by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was meritorious.
The court also held that the sum of N500,000 is awarded as a cost against the All Progressive Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.
During the ruling, the justice resolved that the preponderance of proof that there was over-voting in the elections rested on the petitioner.
The court also maintained that “the party alleging non-compliance with the electoral act must prove its case without merely relying on the weakness of the other party.”
Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Shaibu overruled the judgment of the governorship election tribunal that nullified the outcome of the July governorship polls.
The three-man panel revoked the tribunal’s order which directed that a Certificate of Return be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to his predecessor and All Progressives Congress candidate, Oyetola.
The Osun tribunal had annulled Adeleke’s victory and affirmed Gboyega Oyetola of All Progressives Congress as the authentic winner of the poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had returned Adeleke 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.
The Court of Appeal heard the appeal on March 13 and reserved its judgment.
But the court of Appeal on Friday set aside the tribunal judgement.