OSUN, Nigeria – The Supreme Court will deliver its judgment on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in the legal battle surrounding the July 16, 2022, governorship election in Osun State, Nigeria.
The announcement follows during hearing on Monday, May 8, 2023, during which a five-member panel of Justices, led by Justice John Okoro, adopted the written briefs presented by all parties involved in the matter.
This development comes after the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned an earlier decision by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that nullified the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke as Governor of Osun State. The appellate court subsequently reaffirmed Adeleke as the winner of the election.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Mohammed Shuaibu, unanimously decided in favor of Adeleke, whose victory was challenged by Adegboyega Oyetola, the immediate-past governor and runner-up in the election.
The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had previously declared Oyetola, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner after deducting what it deemed unlawful votes from the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) tally.
Adeleke appealed the lower court’s decision, urging the appellate court to set it aside and reaffirm his victory. The Court of Appeal ultimately held that the tribunal was wrong to conclude that there was over-voting during the election.
In the lead decision, Shuaibu stated that the burden of proving allegations of over-voting falls squarely on Oyetola and the APC. “It is inconceivable to assume that the testimonies of the respondents’ witnesses had any probative value,” the appellate court held.
The Supreme Court’s impending judgment is highly anticipated and will put an end to the prolonged legal battle over the Osun State governorship election.
