Human rights lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi hailed the Appeal Court judgment that reinstated Senator Ademola Adeleke as the governor of Osun State. She praised the three‑man panel, led by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, for upholding justice, fairness, and “the wishes and desire of the people of Osun State who voted massively for Adeleke in the July 16, 2022 election.”
In a statement obtained on Saturday, Olajengbesi urged former governor Gboyega Oyetola, the All Progressives Congress candidate in the July 16, 2022 governorship election, not to distract Adeleke with further court cases. “The people decided their governor in Adeleke when they voted on July 16, 2022,” she said. “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.”
The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Friday, set aside the tribunal judgment that had nullified Adeleke’s election. In a unanimous decision by a three‑member panel headed by Justice Lawal, the court found Adeleke’s appeal against his removal by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to be meritorious. The court also ordered a cost of N500,000 against the APC and its candidate, Oyetola.
During the ruling, the justices held that the burden of proving over‑voting rested on the petitioner and emphasized that “the party alleging non‑compliance with the Electoral Act must prove its case without merely relying on the weakness of the other party.” Justice Mohammed Shaibu delivered the judgment, overturning the tribunal’s decision that had withdrawn Adeleke’s Certificate of Return and issued it to Oyetola. The Appeal Court’s decision affirmed Adeleke as the authentic winner and governor of Osun State.
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