The battle over the outcome of the August 9, 2014 governorship poll in Osun seems far from being over as the two major political parties: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) shift their power tussle to the Osun State Governorship Election Petition. Many had thought that the declaration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the standard bearer of the APC in the poll, as the winner of the August 9 poll by the Returning Officer, Professor Bamitale Omole, would finally lay to rest all contentious matters. However, the PDP made good its threat to head for the tribunal, when it filed a more than 815-page petition, challenging the result.

Aregbesola had polled 394, 684 votes to defeat the standard bearer of the PDP, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who garnered 292,747 votes, while the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) trailed behind with over 8,000 votes.

The filing of the petition by the PDP came 20 days after the conduct of the poll, fueling initial speculations that the opposition lacked the evidence to back up its allegations that the election was marred by fraud and irregularities.

Indication that the party may reject the results emerged in the early hours of August 10, 2014, when the PDP’s agent at the INEC final collation centre, who is also the Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Bola Ajao withheld his assent to the final result sheet, citing alleged flaws and irregularities for his action.

Some observers are of the view that the new twist to the post-election matters may throw up some fresh issues, when proceedings being at the tribunal, especially on the conduct of the poll.

One of the major issues that will be subjected to scrutiny before the Election Petition Tribunal, headed by Justice I.M Bako, is the allegation of massive rigging raised by the PDP in its petition. Apart from accusing the INEC of allegedly colluding with the APC to use members of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) as adhoc staff for the poll, the PDP claimed that massive rigging were perpetrated in 17 local government councils to shore up the victory of the APC.

Addressing a press conference shortly after the PDP filed its petition on Thursday, the head of the legal unit of the party in Osun, Mr S.L. Ojo-Williams alleged that “with the connivance of INEC officials, the APC in some areas, impersonated agents of other political parties to perpetrate acts of rigging, undercounting of PDP votes, disenfranchisement and intimidation of the electorate.”

He listed local councils, where rigging were allegedly perpetrated to include, Ilesa East local government, Ilesa West local government Atakumosa East Local Government, Atakumosa West Local Government, Ayedaade Local Government, Boripe Local Government, Ede North Local Government, Ede South Local Government, Ejigbo Local Government, Osogbo local government, Olorunda local government, Ila Local Government, Irepodun Local Iwo Local Government, Obokun Local Government, Oriade Local Government.

Similarly, Investigation indicated that when the election tribunal began sitting last Wednesday, the APC, through its lead counsel, Mr Kunle Adegoke, also got the relief of the panel to inspect electoral materials to wit, Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, EC8E, EC40A, EC40B, EC40C, EC40F, EC40G, EC25, EC25B, EC1A, EC60, INEC list and codes of the polling units, wards Wards and Local Government Areas in Osun State.

The party also secured the reliefs of the tribunal to inspect the list of all ad-hoc staff engaged by the INEC and all polling documents, as well as materials used for the poll in Atakumosa East Local Government, Atakumosa West Local Government, Ayedaade Local Government, Ayedire Local Government, Boluwaduro Local Government, Boripe Local Government, Ede North Local Government, Ede South Local Government, Egbedore Local Government.

the other local councils included Ejigbo, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ife East, Ifelodun, Ife North, Ife, Ila, Irepodun, Isokan, Iwo, Obokun, Odo-Otin and Oriade Local Government.

However, as tension and excitement build up ahead the full proceedings of the election petition tribunal, pundits submit that the two major foes in the contest are in the familiar terrain, having been locked in a long-drawn legal battle in 2007 when Justice Thomas Naron-led panel began sitting on the fallouts of April 14 governorship poll that pitched the then governor of Osun state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola of the PDP, against the incumbent governor, then candidate of the Action Congress, (AC).

The matter, after getting to Appeal Court, Ibadan, when Aregbesola appealed against the ruling of the Naron panel that upheld the re-election of Oyinlola, was returned back to the tribunal by Justice Victor Omage, citing “improper trial” and most importantly, over the failure of Naron panel to admit in evidence police report on the governorship election presented by the then Action Congress.

Justice Alli Garba re-trial panel constituted in 2010, again in May that year, ruled in favour of the PDP candidate, declaring him the winner of the 2007 governorship poll.

The verdict was again appealed and the matter went to the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division for the second time, and was dispensed with by the Justice Clara Ogunbiyi-led panel on November 26, 2010, who upturned the verdict of the re-trial tribunal and sacked the then Governor Oyinlola, declaring Aregbesola as the validly elected governor in the April 2007 election.

But, Omisore has hired seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), led by Mr Afolabi Fashanu, to handle his matter before the tribunal concerning the August 9 poll.

Reacting to the PDP and Omisore’s recourse to the election tribunal over the result of the poll, APC’s director of publicity, research and strategy, Research, Mr Kunle Oyatomi cautioned them against alleged fabrications and unsubstantiated claims. The party, which hailed the resolve of the PDP to approach the tribunal, to seek redress over perceived irregularities at the poll. In press statement, he stated: “We heartily welcome the decision by the PDP to proceed to the tribunal to seek redress for its perceived irregularity during the August 9 governorship election in which its candidate, Iyiola Omisore, suffered a comprehensive defeat.

“This is a pleasant departure from what we know of PDP’s disposition to settling scores through violence, intimidation and terror. Now that they have embraced a civilized approach to democratic engagement, the leadership of the party should also remember that awful lies and fabrication of false figured cannot stand in the court of law.”