The Chairman of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Tertsea Kume, mocked politician Ademola Adeleke, while delivering the majority judgement of the tribunal on Friday, January 27.
According to him, Adeleke was dancing to Kizz Daniel’s hit tune “Buga” after he was declared winner of the governorship election last year, with his political future still up in the air.
The sacked governor is famous for his sleek, urban dance moves and hails from a family of entertainers.
Mr Kume and his tribunal members on Friday sacked Adeleke and declared former Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the July 2022 governorship election.
The tribunal chairperson said unlawful votes had handed Adeleke victory.
He maintained that the election was not held in compliance with the electoral act.
He added that after deducting the unlawful votes, Oyetola’s tally came down to 314,931 votes, while Adeleke scored 290,666.
He therefore directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Mr Adeleke and hand it over to Mr Oyetola, the “duly elected governor of the state.”
“For the sake of emphasis, the total lawful votes for each of the candidates after the said deduction of the invalid votes is 314,931 for the 1st Petitioner, and 290,666 for the 2nd Respondent,” he held.
ALSO READ: Nigerians ask BVAS questions as Adeleke is booted out of Gov’s House by tribunal
“Consequently, the 2nd Respondent did not score a majority of lawful votes cast at the election. The declaration and return are hereby declared null and void,” the chairman ruled.
“The 2nd Respondent cannot “go lo lo lo lo” and “Buga won” as the duly elected Governor of Osun State in the election conducted on 16th day of July 2022. See Kizz Daniel’s song BUGA. Rather, we hereby hold that the 1st Petitioner scored a majority of lawful votes in the said election and is hereby returned as such,” he said.
“The 1st Respondent is hereby directed to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the 2nd Respondent, and issue it to the 1st Petitioner as the duly elected Governor of Osun State. Accordingly, reliefs 72c, d in 744 Polling Units only, e, f, g, h and i already reproduced in the judgment are hereby granted. Having granted the main reliefs, the alternative reliefs are hereby struck out.”
Adeleke has vowed to challenge the tribunal’s verdict all the way to the apex court in the land.
