Human rights lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi has hailed the Appeal Court judgement reinstating Senator Ademola Adeleke as the Governor of Osun State.
The lawyer commended the three-man panel led by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu of the Court of Appeal in Abuja for standing for justice and fairness and for upholding “the wishes and desire of the people of Osun State who voted massively for Adeleke in the July 16, 2022 election.”
Olajengbesi in a statement obtained Saturday urged the former governor of Osun State and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the July 16, 2022 governorship election, Gboyega Oyetola, not to distract Adeleke with court cases and allow him to concentrate on delivering good governance to the people of the state.
“The people decided their governor in Adeleke when they voted on July 16, 2022.
“Oyetola should stop distracting Senator Adeleke with litigations and allow the people’s governor to concentrate on delivering dividends of governance to the good people of Osun State,” he said.
The reports that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Friday, set aside the tribunal judgment that nullified the election of Adeleke as governor of Osun State.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Lawal, held that the appeal lodged by Adeleke to challenge his sacking 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 APC 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 poll.
The three-man panel revoked the tribunal’s order which directed that a Certificate of Return be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to Oyetola.
The Appeal Court on Friday set aside the tribunal judgement, affirming Adeleke as the authentic winner and governor of Osun State.
