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Clement Adeyi, Osogbo, with agency report
Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has slated today for judgment in the Osun State governorship election.
In a hearing notice issued yesterday, the court said it will hear the appeal filed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke, by 9am.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress winner of the September 2018 governorship election.
In March, a three-man panel of the election tribunal, led by Ibrahim Sirajol, held that Oyetola was not validly returned as winner of the election and subsequently declared Adeleke winner.
The tribunal ruled that the rerun which finally produced Oyetola as winner was the outcome of an ‘illegal’ cancellation of results in some of the polling units during the main election.
It held that the returning officer lacked the power to cancel the votes in affected polling units.
The panel asked INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to Adeleke and withdraw the one given to Oyetola.
But Oyetola rejected the judgment and headed to the appellate court, saying, “justice will prevail at last.”
In April, a five-man panel of the Appeal Court reserved judgment after the parties had adopted their final briefs of argument.
Meanwhile former governorship candidate of Restoration Party during the last election in Osun State, Mrs. Mercy Ayodele, has described the Tuesday arrest and detention of the PDP governorship candidate, as an attempt to intimidate and silence opposition in the country.
The police authorities had, on Tuesday, arraigned Adeleke before a Magistrate Court in Abuja over alleged forgery.
In a fresh five-count charge, the police accused Adeleke of forging a letter of attestation and result from the Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Osun State.
He was, however, admitted to bail in the sum of N2 million and a surety by Muhammed Suberu of the Mpape Magistrate Court, Abuja, after pleading not guilty.
But, in a statement in Osogbo, yesterday, Ayodele who was the first female governorship candidate in the state, said: “Such act was a manifestation of intolerant political leadership using state apparatus to intimidate its citizens, most especially those who have mass support to change the status quo.”
She pointed out that it was on record that the issue over which Adeleke was arrested was already in litigation and would be prejudicial to arrest and arraign him for the same offence.
She argued that it was unknown to any of Nigeria law that an individual could stand trial on the same offence in two different courts almost at the same time.
The politician, however, noted that the issue might not be unconnected with the ongoing litigation over the Osun State governorship election before the Appeal Court.
Ayodele called on President Muhammadu Buhari to “thread softly on the Osun State political imbroglio, act as a statesman and not a party man, as the whole world is watching with keen interest the ongoing political developments in Nigeria.”
Ayodele also expressed confidence in the Nigerian judiciary to tread the path of justice and fair play with a view to stabilising the polity through unbiased and equitable decisions.
“I am resolute about my belief that Nigeria has one of the finest judicial institutions in the world peopled by men and women of good conscience who would not allow the perpetuation of illegality, abuse of court process and abuse of executive powers,” Ayodele said.
She, however, urged the Osun State residents to remain law-abiding and allow the due process of law to run its course.
Ayodele also expressed the Restoration Party’s confidence that Nigeria would evolve into a nation where equity, fair play and justice would be the order of the day in the relationship between government and its people and urged the citizens to work towards the goal.
