Osun poll: Tribunal upholds Aregbesola’s election

The Election Petitions Tribunal hearing matters arising from the August 9, 2014 Osun State governorship election has dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, against the victory of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, for failure to prove the allegations contained in the petition.

In a judgement read for about seven and half hours amid heavy presence of security men at the court premises in Osogbo, the tribunal’s chairman, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime, said the petitioner failed to prove which provision of the Electoral Act the election contravened.

Omisore had dragged Aregbesola before the tribunal asking the panel to nullify the governor’s victory and declare him winner of the poll.

He had said that the election was vitiated by malpractices perpetrated by agents of the first respondent thus asking the tribunal to sack Aregbesola.

But the tribunal upheld Aregbesola’s victory and said the APC candidate scored 394,684 votes credited to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission, while Omisore polled 292,747 votes.

The petitioner challenged the election result in 939 polling units in 142 wards in 17 local government areas.

The disputed local government areas are Ayedaade, Atakumosa East, Boripe, Ede North, Ede South, Ejigbo, Ifelodun, Ilesa East and Ilesa West.

Others are Irepodun Local Government, Irewole, Iwo, Obokun, Olaoluwa, Olorunda, Oriade and Osogbo Local Government Area.

However, Justice Ikpejime held that the petitioner failed to prove the allegations contained in his petition.

The dismissal of the petition triggered jubilation as APC supporters took to the street to celebrate the victory.

But Omisore’s counsel, Mr. Nathaniel Oke, said though the judgement was binding on his client, there were some areas of disagreements.

He said that his client would appeal the judgement.

Meanwhile, Aregbesola dedicated the victory to the people of the state.

He said in a statement made available to our correspondent that the verdict was the demonstration of the wish of the people.

The governor said in a sane society, Omisore would not have approached the election tribunal because there was no redress to be sought.

“It is pertinent to state here that those who went to the tribunal knew that the petition lacked any substance whatsoever; it is a sheer waste of the time of the judiciary,” he said.