THE Osun State governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, yesterday, granted an ex parte order to candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ademola Adeleke, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from altering election results.
The tribunal headed by Justice T .A. Igoche and Justice B. A Obayi as member also ordered INEC not to tamper with information contained in the card reader machines and other documents used for the poll. Senator Adeleke, through his counsel, Mr. Nathaniel Oke, SAN, had filed an ex parte application seeking leave of the tribunal to file the application before the pre -hearing session.
The applicant also sought leave of the tribunal to inspect and obtain certified true copies of electoral documents and materials in the custody of INEC.
Adeleke predicated his application on the grounds that he was the candidate that contested the election held on September 22, 2018 and the re-run election held on September 27, 2018 on the platform of PDP.
Other grounds of the application are: “That the total votes won by the 1st applicant on the 22nd day of September, 2018 was 245 ,698 while the 1st respondent scored 245 ,345.
Why we teamed up with APC—SDP Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Osun State, yesterday, explained why it formed a coalition with the All progressives Congress, APC, in the just concluded state governorship supplementary election.
National Leader of the party, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, explained while addressing party supporters in Osogbo that: “We laid our cards open on the table but the PDP refused to play with us.”
Farounbi said: “If the PDP refused to tango with us and the APC expressed its readiness, we went with the APC that was ready and we formed coalition government. Part of our agreement was that the state is a civil service state and civil servants welfare should be taken care of.
“Infact, let me tell you, how it all happened, on Monday September 24th, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki came by 2.00 p.m and told us that since Iyiola Omisore was a member of the PDP, he should reason along with them on the coalition and we laid our card on table for him but promised to get across within 24 hours.”
“That the 1st applicant was the winner of the election and ought to have been so declared by the 3 rd respondent (INEC).
“That the 3rd respondent declared the election inconclusive, hence a rerun was conducted on the 27th day of September 2018.
“That the rerun election was marred by electoral violence, vote- buying, stuffing of ballot papers, multiple thumb- printing and voting and allocation of votes by the 3 rd respondent.
“That by the total actual and valid votes cast on the 22nd and 27th days of September 2018 respectively; the elections were won by the applicants.
“That an examination of the electoral documents and election materials in the custody of the 3 rd respondent is required to determine the actual facts and records of the elections to maintain this petition.
“That the 3rd respondent wrongfully declared and returned the 1st respondent as being duly elected and winner of the governorship election, Osun State held on 22nd day of September 2018 and the rerun election held on 27 the day of September 2018 respectively.
“The 1st and 2nd applicants are dissatisfied with the said result of the election as announced by the returning officer of the governorship election, Osun State.
“That instant allocation is required for the purpose of instituting and maintaining the petition.” Igoche, in the ruling said: “We are of the view that the application has merit. We, hereby, grant the application as prayed.”
Credit: Vanguardngr
