Following Friday, March 19, 2019 ruling of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja declaring Senator Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the September 2018 election in the state, presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has not only received boost but is currently being tutored on winning tactics from the dancing Senator.
In his terse statement to herald Ademola’s win at the tribunal, Atiku Abubakar applauded the judiciary as truly, the defender of Nigeria’s democracy.
According to him, “The Waziri Adamawa notes that the restoration of the stolen mandate of Senator Adeleke shows that indeed the judiciary is the last refuge of the common man and that in truth, those who were aggrieved and resolved to maintain the peace, have been vindicated.
Atiku further congratulated Senator Adeleke, the PDP and men and women of goodwill in Osun State, who did not waver in their commitment to retrieve the stolen mandate, saying “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy has come for the people of Osun”.
The statement sent to Business Hilights Abuja Bureau chief in Abuja noted that the PDP presidential candidate commends the courage of the judiciary and its resilience even in the face of strenuous efforts by the APC-led government to undermine and intimidate it.
According to the former Vice President, the decision of the judiciary on the Osun governorship election is phenomenal in view of the culture of inconclusive elections by INEC in this season.
Walikin Adamawa further averred that “The judgment has rekindled hope and confidence that those whose mandate had been tampered with or denied can look forward to justice being done to them”.
The 3-man tribunal upheld the petitions filed by Adeleke and the PDP, challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Gboyega Oyetola at the September 2018 governorship election.
Recall that the tribunal had earlier dismissed the objections of the APC and Oyetola. It said Adeleke’s petition has merit and further declared the rerun election as illegal.
The PDP and Adeleke, had filed a petition asking the tribunal to declare that he polled the highest lawful votes and should be declared the winner.
However, Oyetola, APC and INEC had filed their notices of preliminary objection contending among others that the petition was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction.
A three -member panel of the tribunal, dismissed the objections filed by Gov. Oyetola, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Both Adeleke and the PDP in their different petitions had urged the tribunal to declare that he scored the highest lawful votes in the election and should be declared as winner.
However, Oyetola, APC and INEC filed their notices of preliminary objection against the petition on the grounds that the petition is incompetent adding that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the petition.
Delivering the lead ruling of the three-man tribunal, Chairman Ibrahim Sirajo, held that the objections were misconceived and struck them out.
The Tribunal held that the CTC should and must be an exact replica of the EC8A pink copies.
The discrepancies must therefore be explained and justified by INEC.
In this instance, the tribunal held, INEC failed to explain nor justify the alterations and that they failed to call any witness to justify the alterations.
The tribunal held that the attempt to explain the alterations on the basis of mere corrections of errors is not acceptable and the fact that the said errors were consistently made in the disputed areas means it was a deliberate action taken.
