By Ugochi Ndukwe
It has been jubilation galore for the lovers of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, coming on the heel of the Osun State Election PetitionTribunal that declared him as winner of the election. The three-man panel said Mr 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.
While this is a step in the right direction for the camp of the ‘Dancing Senator’ Ademola Adeleke representing Osun West senatorial district needs to save the last dance for the verdict of Court of Appeal which may toe the same line with the tribunal or go otherwise, as it is most certain that the tribunal verdict will be challenged at the Appeal Court by the All Progressives Congress and incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola, who has the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu stoutly standing behind him. As the battle heads to the Appeal Court, Adeleke needs to be reminded that one of the legacy parties of the APC, the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) under the leadership of Asiwaju wrestled power from the then incumbent PDP governors.
Asiwaju’s legal ace is always reserved for the Court of Appeal where he has sterling records of electoral victories for his protégés and political allies whom he has helped retrieve their mandates. It will be recalled that the first term of the incumbent Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, was perfected at the Appeal Court then presided over by Justice Ayodele Salami, which ousted Segun Oni. The same goes for Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who succeeded Olagunsoye Oyinlola courtesy the verdict of the Appeal Court a month later. The then Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate, Adams Oshiomole’s victory as the duly elected Governor Edo State was also perfected at the Appeal Court that had Justices Umaru Farouk Abdullahi, Ayo Salami, Amina Audi and two others; thus sounding a death knell on Professor Oserheimen Osunbor’s 18-month reign as governor .
Segun Mimiko, then of the Labour Party, was also a beneficiary of the Appeal Court verdict which validated the Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal which had earlier given victory to Mimiko. Records had it that the victory had Asiwaju’s inputs.
Another stumbling block in the way of Ademola Adeleke even if he eventually wins at the Appeal Court is the 22-member majority out of 26 members in Osun State House of Assembly. His term as governor may be troubled by the House of Assembly peopled by loyalists of the APC chieftains. Adeleke’s court case about his academic qualification may be opened at the House in a bid to oust him. Whichever way it is viewed, Adeleke’s political future is laden with challenges that require him to put his dancing shoes aside and be of sterner stuff for the forces against him are formidable.
