Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to issue a Certificate of Return to Gboyega Oyetola.
CityNews Nigeria reports that Adeleke made the request following a judgement by the election tribunal.
Recall that the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal chaired had on Friday sacked the Osun Governor.
The ruling was given by a three-men panel led by Justice Tertse Kume.
The majority judgement of two judges against one ordered that the Certificate of Return should be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to Adegboyega Oyetola.
The majority judgement which was read by the Chairman, Justice Tertse Kume said Oyetola scored the majority lawful votes of 314, 921 against Adeleke’s 290, 266.
But in a letter to the electoral umpire Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Adeleke urged INEC not to issue the certificate of return to Oyetola pending 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.”
