The All Progressive Congress on Friday said proving over voting in last year’s governorship election in Osun further affirms the importance of the electoral reforms of the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The APC, in its first reaction to the judgement of the tribunal which ruled in favour of the candidate of the party Gboyega Oyetola, said the ruling was in line with the choices of the people of Osun.
“The Tribunal’s verdict represents victory for democracy and the rule of law. It is a categorical affirmation of the will of the Osun electorate as expressed at the polls,”Felix Mokar,the National Publicity Secretary of APC said in the statement
It said further that The peaceful conduct of the Osun governorship election and effective recourse procedures are eloquent testament to APC’s commitment to bequeathing a legacy of credible elections,and Independent and fair dispensation of electoral justice.
“The Tribunal’s findings and verdict on the pivotal question of over-voting yet again underscores the massive significance of the programme of electoral reform,and new and efficient technologies implemented by the APC-adminstration of President Muhammad Buhari.” It added
The party congratulated Gboyega Oyetola,the party faithful and the good people of the state over the Tribunal’s verdict.
Recall that,the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo had earlier declared Governor Adegboyega Oyetola as the winner of the July 16, 2022 governorship election.
Reading the majority judgement, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Tertsea Kume said the election was marred by over-voting. He thereby deducted the number of over-voting presented by Oyetola and APC.
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He said “having deducted the over-voting figure, Oyetola scored 314,921 while Ademola gathered 290,266.”
The tribunal referred to the statement of admission of “seemingly over-voting” made by an INEC official who appeared before the tribunal as respondent’s witness.
He said the defence by the respondents on the over-voting are unreliable
He blamed the INEC for producing contradictory results, stating that it put question mark on the readiness of the Commision to conduct credible election.
The Tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw Certificate of Returns issued to Adeleke.
However, in his minority one of the judges agreed with the majority judgement on the qualification but discountenance the evidence of the Prosecution Witness.