APC, PDP, INEC differ on Osun tribunal judgement

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State have expressed divergent views on the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal judgement delivered on Friday.

Tribunal, in its judgement, declared former Governor Gboyega Oyetola as the authentic winner of the July 16, 2022, governorship election in the state.

While the tribunal chairman, Justice Tertsea Kume, delivered the majority judgement which gave victory to Oyetola, another member of the three-man panel delivered a minority judgement.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the judgement, the counsel to APC, Dr Abiodun Layonu, thanked the tribunal for restoring the victory of Oyetola as the winner of the governorship election.

Layonu thanked Akin Olujimi, SAN, and Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for leading Oyetola to victory at the tribunal.

He said the judges at the tribunal considered the option of declaring Oyetola as winner in a majority judgement.

Also, the counsel to PDP, Nathaniel Oke, told newsmen that the respondents were dissatisfied with the tribunal’s verdict.

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Oke said necessary legal step to challenge the judgement would be embarked upon by the respondents in order to get Adeleke’s mandate back.

He said the majority judgement might not be the position of the court, adding that the respondents stood with the minority judgement which, he said, showed the true picture of what transpired at the election.

“You will recall that it was only two people who gave judgment in respect of the July 16, 2022 election,” he said.

Oke expressed optimism that Adeleke’s mandate would be retrieved at the appellate court.

In his own reaction, the counsel to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Paul Ananaba, expressed dissatisfaction with the judgement.

“The tribunal chairman delivered what is called majority judgement; the second member of the panel gave a dissenting judgement while the third thanked everybody at the tribunal.

“These are the issues we will have to look into and get back to the commission. Anybody who listened to today’s judgement will know that only two people delivered the judgement and not three,” he said.

Ananaba further stated that the Biomodal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS) was the primary source of what transpired on the day of the election.

He said there was no way a report issued after the election would be the primary source of what transpired on the election upon which the results would be declared.

Ananaba urged the people of the state to remain calm, assuring them that all the legal options would be explored to get Adeleke’s mandate back.

The Star