Omisore loses at Appeal Court, heads for S/ Court

Federal Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Thursday, dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) governorship candidate in the August 9, 2014 election in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore. Delivering her judgment, Justice Gana Msheila, said Senator Omisore failed to present substantial evidences to prove his case before the court, saying the appeal lacked merit and dismissed the case. Omisore had approached the Appeal Court, challenging the ruling of the Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Osun, which upheld the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election. Omisore, in his appeal prayed the court to set aside the ruling of the tribunal, arguing that the tribunal erred for failing to examine the issues raised in his petition properly. Omisore’s appeal was premised on the ground that the tribunal failed to evaluate the evidences submitted before it by experts, arguing that there were electoral malpractices and rigging during the election. At the hearing of the appeal, counsel to Senator Omisore, Alex Isiyoung, had argued that the tribunal erred in its ruling, as it failed to examine all the allegations and issues raised by the petitioner. He also said that the tribunal failed to address the allegations of corrupt practices and non-compliance to electoral acts in the election which produced Governor Aregbesola and, therefore, prayed the Appeal Court to discountenance the judgment of the tribunal. He maintained that Aregbesola failed to obtain the required number of lawful votes in the election which eventually produced him, and thereby, prayed the court to upturn the ruling of the tribunal. Isiyoung stressed the need for the Appeal Court to declare Omisore as the winner of the August 14 governorship election in Osun State, arguing that his client had the highest number of lawful votes in the election. Counsels to Governor Aregbesola, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chief Akin Olujimi and Rotimi Akeredolu, respectively objected, arguing that the tribunal was clear and unbiased in its ruling. Also, counsel to Aregbesola, Chief Olujimi, said the ruling of the Elections Petition Tribunal which upheld the victory of Aregbesola was unchallengeable, as according to him, it was decided after thorough investigations. Reacting to the judgment, Senator Omisore disclosed that he pursued the case to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling. Speaking through his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Victor Oriola. said “we know we have a good case and we shall not relax until we get favourable judgment. We shall, therefore, proceed to the Supreme Court to prove our case.”