The Election Petitions Tribunal set up for the 2018 governorship election in Osun State has declared Ademola Adeleke winner of the election.

The three-man panel said during its ruling in Abuja on Friday, March 22 that the rerun election that held on September 27, 2018 was illegal.

In a two-to-one split decision, Justice Peter Obiora, who read the lead judgement, voided the supplementary election held on September 27, 2018 on the ground that the state returning officer has no power to have cancelled election in seven polling units in four local government areas and order a rerun.

The tribunal, therefore, deducted the votes scored by Gboyega Oyetola, the APC candidate at the rerun illegal.

The tribunal, in the majority judgment, also cancelled results from 17 polling units on grounds of substantial non-compliance with Electoral Act.

The tribunal said Adeleke won the election at the first ballot on September 22, and the rerun that INEC devised to reach a final conclusion a week later was illegal.

The ruling could affect several results from the 2019 elections, where the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared results in several states inconclusive and ordered rerun.

– Mar. 22, 2019 @ 03:20 GMT |