Osun Tribunal Judgement: ” It’s False, There Was No Majority Judgement” – Gov. Adeleke

By Ayodele Oni

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has said it is false to say there was a majority judgement in his removal as a Governor on Friday, January 27, 2023,  by the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal.

In a broadcast to the people of the State after the judgement, Adeleke put a lie to the various reports that the judgement was a split judgement of “two to one” in favour of the former Governor, Gboyega Oyetola.

He explained that only two Judges read their judgements. One of them, the Chairman of the Panel, The Honourable Justice Tetsea Kume, read a judgement in favour of Oyetola, while the second Judge read in favour of him, Adeleke. The third Judge, the female in the Panel, he said, abstained. Meaning that there was no winner or loser.

He described the ruling of the Chairman as a miscarriage of justice and emphasised that he remains  the Governor of the State. He disclosed that his legal team has appealed the Judgement, and written to the Independent National Electoral Commission for a stay of execution of the Judgement.

Adeleke’s address to the people of the State reads in part:

“My good people of Osun State, we have all heard the split judgement of the Governorship Election Tribunal.

“Two members of the Tribunal delivered two opposing judgements – the Chairman and the Member one. The Member two did not deliver judgement. She abstained.

“The Chairman’s judgement affirmed the claim of over-voting, while the Member one’s judgement agreed with our position as captured by the BVAS machines, which is the primary source of accreditation data of true accreditation on the day of the election.

“The reality of my election as the Governor of Osun State is captured in the Member one’s judgement. The claim of over-voting in the Chairman’s judgement was unfounded. This was clearly a miscarriage of justice.

“Based on the above, there was no majority judgement.

“My good people of Osun State, I am still your Governor. I have the right of appeal to the Chairman’s judgement, and I have instructed my Lawyers accordingly.

“You gave me your mandate. Our election remains valid, and by the grace of God, we will triumph at last.”

Governor Adeleke’s Counsel, in the statement issued by his Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, revealed, “has also written to the Electoral Commission intimating it of the appeal, and seeking non-implementation of the judgement until the determination of the appeal.”