As the election petition tribunal begins sitting over the outcome of the Osun state governorship election, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and governor-elect Ademola Adeleke have continued their war of words.
Recall that the Osun state governor filed a suit against Adeleke and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking the cancellation of 749 polling units because of alleged over-voting.
He wanted the tribunal to declare him as the winner.
Ahead of the sitting, the chief press Secretary to Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, said the decision to challenge the outcome of the July 16 governorship poll was aimed at deepening the country’s democratic values and its electoral system.
He said, “We are challenging his eligibility to stand for the election in the first instance, having purportedly been awarded a university degree barely 24 days after he acquired an equivalent of an ‘O’ level result. It is common knowledge that in 2019, Senator Adeleke faced criminal allegations of examination malpractice. He was granted bail, and then he travelled abroad and did not return until he came for this election.”
On his part, Adeleke called for sanction of Oyetola and All Progressives Congress, APC, over alleged subjudiced media trial after the rejection of Oyetola’s request to relocate the tribunal sitting from Osogbo to Abuja.
He said, “Our party as a law-abiding organisation is, however, disappointed with the recklessness and utter disregard of Governor Oyetola and his team for the integrity and credibility of the judicial process.
In the last few weeks, the petitioner has launched series of media publications, first alleging false admission, to over-voting by defendants, misrepresenting to the public the fillings of defendants, alleging complicity of the electoral commission through doctoring of court fillings, and lately creating falsified election results to purportedly claim victory.”
