OSUN GUBER: Adeleke calls for calm, says court erred in its ruling disqualifying him

Ademola Adeleke has described as shocking Bwari High Court’s Tuesday judgment which held that he was not qualified to contest the office of governor during the September 2018 Osun governorship election.

He has therefore called on the residents of Osun State and supporters to remain calm and peaceful.

Adeleke spoke through a statement by his campaign organisation and signed by its spokesperson, Niyi Owolade.

He faulted the ruling of Bwari High Court, saying that the court
erred in its ruling.

According to him, since a court of coordinate jurisdiction had ruled on the matter, the Bwari High Court, which is a court of similar jurisdiction, could not entertain the suit.

Adeleke had contested the election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against other candidates, including that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adegboyega Oyetola.

But ruling on a case of his alleged forgery of certificate, Bwari High Court in the Federal Capital Territory nullified Adeleke’s candidacy as the flag bearer of the PDP in the September 2018 election.

Justice Othman Musa who presided over the matter, made the decision after he ruled that Adeleke failed to prove in court that he graduated from a secondary school, as required by Section 177 of the Nigerian Constitution.

But reacting in the statement Wednesday, Adeleke Campaign Organisation said, “First of all, the matter in question has been addressed by two High Court rulings affirming that in the face of the Constitution, Senator Ademola Adeleke was qualified to run for the governorship.

“The two rulings delivered in September 2018 held that Adeleke satisfied requirement of the law to contest for office.

“It is trite in law that once a court of coordinate jurisdiction has ruled on a matter, court of similar jurisdiction cannot entertain it.”

READ ALSO : A’IBOM POLL: Akpabio, Ekere, others flood tribunal with 34 petitions against PDP

The statement further noted that during the hearing on the matter by the two high courts, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) at no point denounced the secondary school qualification of Adeleke and that the principal of Ede Muslim High School also confirmed the authenticity of the statement of result issued to Adeleke.

The Osun governorship tribunal had recently declared Adeleke winner of the September 2018 governorship election in the state. But Oyetola, the state governor, who was declared winner of the poll, and his APC party, are challenging the ruling at the Appeal Court.

By Ebere Ndukwu. . .

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