Osun tribunal’s verdict: INEC’s counsel, Prof. Ananaba disagrees with ruling, says it’s a split decision

Following the annulment of the election of Gov. Ademola Adeleke by the Osun Election Tribunal, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disagreed with the verdict, describing it as a split decision.

The Counsel to INEC, Prof. Paul Ananaba, who reacted to Friday’s judgment, expressed dissatisfaction with it in totality.

Persecondnews had reported that the tribunal on Friday declared immediate past Governor Gboyega Oyetola as the winner of the July 16, 2022, governorship poll in the state.

While the tribunal Chairman, Justice Tertsea Kume, delivered the “majority” judgment which gave victory to Oyetola, another member of the three-man panel delivered a minority judgment.

He said: “The tribunal chairman delivered what is called majority judgment; the second member of the panel gave a dissenting judgment while the third thanked everybody at the tribunal.

“These are the issues we will have to look into and get back to the commission.

“Anybody who listened to today’s judgment will know that only two people delivered the judgment and not three.”

Ananaba pointed out that the Biomodal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS) was the primary source of what transpired on the day of the election.

According to him, there was no way a report issued after the election would be the primary source of what transpired on the election upon which the results would be declared.

He, therefore, urged the people of Osun to remain calm, assuring them that all the legal options would be explored to get Adeleke’s mandate back.

Also reacting, both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State have expressed divergent views on the judgment.

The Counsel to APC, Dr Abiodun Layonu, thanked the tribunal for restoring the victory of Oyetola as the winner of the governorship election.

Layonu thanked Messers Akin Olujimi, (SAN), and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for leading Oyetola to victory at the tribunal.

He said the judges at the tribunal considered the option of declaring Oyetola as winner in a majority judgment.

For the Counsel to PDP, Mr Nathaniel Oke, the respondents were dissatisfied with the tribunal’s verdict.

Oke said necessary legal step to challenge the judgment would be taken to restore Adeleke’s mandate.

He said the respondents stood with the minority judgment which, he noted, showed the true picture of what transpired in the election.

“You will recall that it was only two people who gave judgment in respect of the July 16, 2022 election,” he said, expressing the optimism that Adeleke’s mandate would be restored at the appellate court.