Osun tribunal: Oyetola, APC challenge Adeleke in cross-appeal

Former governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have appealed to the appellate court to use the certificate forgery established against Governor Ademola Adeleke by the tribunal and declare him incompetent to contest the July 16 governorship election in the state.

Oyetola and APC had approached the tribunal to challenge the declaration of Adeleke as the winner of the election, positing that there was over-voting and Adeleke was not qualified for the election.

The tribunal agreed that Oyetola and APC were able to prove a case of forgery against Adeleke but held that it was not enough to make him ineligible since he had acquired additional qualifications.

But, in a cross-appeal through their counsel, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, a senior advocate and Akin Olujimi, a senior advocate, argued that the tribunal misdirected itself when it held that the certificate from Atlanta Metropolitan College and a diploma certificate from Penn Foster High School were genuine.

“Exhibits 2R.RW6 and 2R.RW9 are documents that lied against each other, as Exhibit 2R.RW9 purports that the 2nd Cross-Respondent (Ademola Adeleke) obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice within 24 days of obtaining Exhibit 2R.RW6, a Diploma Certificate which purports on its surface to be an equivalent of a Secondary School Certificate.

“It is in evidence before the Tribunal that Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice of the Atlanta Metropolitan College is a four-year full-time course which fact the Cross-Appellants pleaded in their petition and was admitted by the 2nd Cross-Respondent; Iit is the law that facts admitted need no further proof and it is a presumption which only the 2nd Cross-Respondent could rebut as regards the factual impossibility of obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree within 24 days of obtaining a School Certificate equivalent, thereby casting the onus of proof on him,” Oyetola’s counsel noted.

Oyetola’s counsel further contended, “Having found that forgery was proved by the petitioners against the 2nd cross/respondent regarding his Exhibits EC9 and File D, the tribunal ought to have held under Section 182(1)(1) that the 2nd respondent was disqualified from contesting the Osun State Governorship election of July 16, 2022.

“Once forgery of a document is established against a candidate in an election, it voids his candidature and the forgery cannot be redeemed or canceled out by any other document the candidate may have presented alongside the forged document.

“The holding of the Tribunal that the 2nd Cross-Respondent (Ademola Adeleke) was nonetheless qualified to contest the election is inconsistent and in conflict with the clear provision of Section 182(1)(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“The holding of the Tribunal runs contrary to Section 182(1)(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). The decision of the Tribunal on the qualification of the 2nd Respondent

was made per incuriam Section 182(1)(1) of the Constitution and hence is erroneous and perverse.”

To this end, they want the Appeal Court to set aside the decision of the Tribunal which specifically said Senator Ademola Adeleke was qualified to run for the July 16 Governorship election even after establishing a forgery case against him.

(TNT)