The Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja, is to deliver judgment on the complaints lodged against the outcome of the September 2018 election in the state by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the poll, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the separate objections filed by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission against the petition challenging their victory at the September 2018 election.
The Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate in the election had filed the petition urging the tribunal to declare that he polled the highest lawful votes and should be declared the winner. But Oyetola, APC and INEC had filed their notices of preliminary objection contending among others that the petition was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction.
Delivering the lead ruling of the three-man tribunal, Justice Peter Obi, held that the objections were misconceived and struck them out. The tribunal added that the tribunal had jurisdiction to hear the petition. There are two other reserved rulings the tribunal is to deliver before delving into the merit of the petition. The Justice Ibrahim Sirajo-led three-man bench began delivering judgment at 10.33am on Friday.
Recently, Some members of the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party decided to embark on fasting and prayer to ensure a favourable judgment by the Election Petitions Tribunal on PDP’s Ademola Adeleke’s petition against Adegboyega Oyetola’s election as Osun State governor last year.
The tribunal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday informed both parties to the case that it would give judgement on the Adeleke’s petition against Oyetola of the APC on Friday. A statement by the Osun State chairman of the PDP, Mr Soji Adagunodo, directed members of the party to fast and pray on Thursday ahead of the ruling.
It was reported that a PDP group on Tuesday commenced a three-day fasting and prayer for divine intervention in the judgement. Adagunodo said the party believed in the power of prayer and fasting.
Also, two APC groups –Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation and Giomania – said they would hold a special prayer session on Thursday to seek the face of God for a favourable judgement on the case.
The groups in a statement jointly signed by their coordinators, Sikiru Tijani and Abdul Adegboyega, said, “This prayer became imperative because we cannot afford to take the state which has been experiencing a monumental development in the last eight years back to abject poverty and penury.
“Our prayer will surely be answered because God is not unjust. We believe in the efficacy of prayer. Since we are on the right side of justice, victory is guaranteed. “We believe so much in our party and we are very optimistic that the judgement will favour us. “The people of Osun have spoken through their votes, they turned out massively during the election to elect Oyetola. So there is no cause for alarm.”
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election held on September 22, 2018, with the supplementary poll held on September 27, 2018, the petitioners had filed their petitions asking the tribunal to upturn Oyetola’s victory.
They alleged that Oyetola’s victory at the poll was marred by irregularities, including massive rigging, vote buying and other forms of malpractices. They urged the court to nullify Oyetola’s victory.
Source: PUNCH