Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has described the judgement of the governorship tribunal which sacked him as a miscarriage of justice, vowing to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

Reacting to the verdict of the Tribunal from his country home, Ede, Governor Adeleke faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of Mr Oyetola, saying it was an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters.

According to a statement by Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Plawale Rasheed, while urging his supporters to remain calm, Adeleke vowed to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal, insisting he remains the rightful winner of the July 16 election.

"I call on our people to remain calm. We will appeal the judgement and we are sure justice will be done. Let our people be reassured that we will do everything possible to retain this widely acclaimed mandate", Governor Adeleke declared.

The Osun Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, Osun State capital, in split judgements on Friday, sacked Governor Adeleke on the ground that the election which retuned him failed to comply with the Electoral Act, 2022.

The Tribunal consequently ordered that the certificate of returns given to Senator Adeleke be withdrawn with immediate effect and same given to Oyetola.

The Presiding Judge of the panel, Justice Tertsea Kume, in a majority judgement, explained that there was overvoting in six polling units during the election.

Adeleke had a minority judgement in his favour.

Justice Kume maintained that after the deduction of valid votes cast from the over-voting at these polling units, Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 314,941 while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ademola Adeleke polled 290,266.

Adeleke had been declared the winner with a total of 403,371 votes. He won in 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

Oyetola of the APC won in the remaining 13 LGAs with 375,027 votes.

Oyetola and the APC are petitioners in the case with Lateef Fagbemi and Akin Olujimi as their lead counsel.

Details later...