VANGUARD
By Ismail Omipidan
When in August 2022, I announced to the whole world that in Osun, my Principal, Adegboyega Oyetola, did not lose the July 16 Governorship election, but only lost the vote count, some Nigerians, especially sympathisers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were furious. They called me names. But they could not marshall any reasonable argument to disprove my position.
So, last Friday’s judgement of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal, for me, is a vindication of my position prior to the 2018 governorship election that majority of Osun citizens, who are reasonable, knowledgeable and who value education could not have voted for a man, who allegedly forged his certificate and who, apart from ‘dancecraft’, has nothing to offer the State. His administration of Osun in the last 60 days has further exposed him as a man lacking in character, content, and capacity.
Similarly, the outcome of the Tribunal is equally a vindication of my August 2022 postulation that we only lost the vote count and not the election.
Contrary to the claims of the Governor and his cohorts, three of the judges agreed on the fact that he forged his certificate, while two concurred that there was indeed over-voting in the July 16 Governorship election. And in accordance with the Electoral Act, the invalid votes were separated from the valid ones and Oyetola was declared as the validly-elected Governor of Osun State.
Therefore, issue of “Member 1” and “Member 2” being propounded by Senator Ademola Adeleke, Kolapo Alimi and the rest only exists in their imagination. It is a pity that the Governor does not know and those we thought should know ended up misleading the poor man.
In the lead judgement, which was over 90 pages, “we” featured prominently to indicate that the position reached were arrived at by two or more persons. Similarly, the dissenting judgement, which was just 8 pages, “I” featured prominently to indicate he was alone in that decision. How Senator Ademola Adeleke’s men were able to confuse him that an 8-page judgement can be used to upturn an over 90 pages of sound and scholarly judgement, which are well grounded in law and facts, remains a mystery to me.
How the Tribunal arrived at its conclusion
