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Various political camps in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State have been thrown into uncertainty as the Supreme Court delivers judgment today in an appeal filed by Adegboyega Oyetola against a judgment of the Appeal Court, which upheld the election of Ademola Adeleke as Osun State governor.
Checks by The Guardian showed that security has been beefed up in strategic locations in the state to quell any crisis after the judgment is delivered.To ensure victory for Adeleke, the Hausa community in Ifon-Osun, Osun State, held a special prayer at the Hausa Community Central Mosque.
Speaking shortly after the prayer, the Sarkin Hausa of Ifon-Orolu, Sulaiman Sabo, said Heads of the Hausa community were not politicians but it is one of their duties to support the government of the day in prayer and for smooth running of governance in the state.
Meanwhile, a two-time governorship candidate of Lagos PDP (2015-2019), Jimi Agbaje, said that the apex court justices would uphold justice and wishes of the masses.
In a similar vein, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Diran Odeyemi, said the Supreme Court would definitely take a decision that would support the mood of Osun people that freely gave the mandate to the incumbent.
A former Osun State Commissioner for Information, Lani Baderinwa and member of APC told The Guardian that the justices would take the best and upright decision today.
It would be recalled that in January 2023, the tribunal sacked Adeleke and PDP while it declared APC’s candidate, Oyetola, as the winner of the election. Justice Tertsea Kume, who served as chairman of the tribunal, said the election was marred by over-voting.
Adeleke appealed the decision of the tribunal before the Appeal Court, which on Friday, March 25, 2023 overturned the decision of the tribunal and affirmed the incumbent governor as winner of the July 16, 2022 governorship polls.
The three-member panel of the court, led by Mohammed Shuaibu, unanimously overturned the earlier decision of the election petition tribunal, which nullified Adeleke’s victory in January.
