Ademola Adeleke, the governor of Osun State, has requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not provide Gboyega Oyetola a Certificate of Return.
Recall that the Osun Governor was fired on Friday following the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal’s ruling.
A three-person panel, presided over by Justice Tertse Kume, issued the decision.
Adegboyega Oyetola was directed to receive the Certificate of Return that had been given to Adeleke by the majority decision of two judges against one.
Oyetola received the majority of the legitimate votes—314, 921—as opposed to Adeleke’s 290, 266 in the majority judgment, which was read by the chairman, Justice Tertse Kume.
However, Adeleke pleaded with INEC in a letter to the chairman of the electoral umpire, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to hold off on issuing Oyetola’s certificate of return until the outcome of his appeal.
The letter partly signed by Hashim Abioye, lawyer to Adeleke, read: “As Solicitors to the 2nd Respondent, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, we humbly write to notify you that consequent upon the dissatisfaction of the 2nd Respondent by the najority decision of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered on January 27, 2023, the 2nd Respondent has applied for a certified true copy of the judgement to enable him pursue his appeal against the said judgement.
“In the light of the foregoing, we humbly ask you to apply the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, by not issuing any certificate (of) return to the 1st petitioner in the petition pending the outcome of the appeal which we are confident will be favourable to our client.”