EXCLUSIVE: Why Court Nullified the Candidacy of Sen. Adeleke

…Dropped out of school a year before exam was written

…How Sen. Adeleke presented testimonial from a school in a state that was non-existent

As citizens across Osun State continue to rejoice over the judgement nullifying the nomination of Senator Ademola Adeleke as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the September 2018 Governorship Election, more details have emerged over the forged certificate presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by the embattled senator.

Though there are several other forgery and fraud cases still hanging on the neck of the PDP Senator, the latest ruling against him is not unconnected with a fake certificate presented to the electoral umpire for his senatorial election and botched gubernatorial attempt in Osun State. Recall the Police in October 2018 in a separate case filed a two count charge against Sen. Adeleke of conspiracy to commit felony and aiding and abetting of Exam Malpractice.

Photo of Sen. Ademola Adeleke seen on Ojo-Aro Community Grammar school’s log book for 2017 NECO examinations. The Principal of the school in a separate case has testified that the senator did not sit for the examination for which he now possess a result. The Prosecution accused the defendants of committing the offence of examination malpractices through impersonation.

In a case with Suit No FCT/HC/BW/CV/122/2018 filed by Bankole Joel Akomolafe of Bank-Akomolafe & Co against Sen. Adeleke and three others, presided over by Honourable Justice Othman A. Musa of the FCT High Court, Bwari Division, the judge ruled that the result submitted to court by the Principal of Ede Grammar School, Osun State who was subpoenaed to court by B. J Akomolafe Esq was different from the one attached to Form CF001 submitted to INEC by the Senator.

There are several contradictions in the claims of Adeleke and those by official authorities whose statements were sought by the court. However, chief among the reasons given by the Court for the nullification of his candidacyis that the register of Admission, Progress and Withdrawal 1975 through to 1982 showed that the Senator was admitted in 1975 but showed him to have dropped out of school before 1982. Senator Adeleke dropped out whilst in Form 4 in 1981 Osun Defender learnt.

The Principal of the school himself also admitted under Oath that they were lots of errors on the documents submitted by the Senator to INEC. Osun Defender gathered that the Testimonial submitted to INEC by the Senator was allegedly issued on 20th July, 1988 from a school in Osun State when Osun State was not in existence at the time. Recall Osun State was created in 1991 by the regime of the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida Military Junta.

Whilst delivering its judgment yesterday, Tuesday 2nd April, 2019, the court having first dismissed the Preliminary Objection of both PDP and Sen. Ademola Adeleke on lack of jurisdiction, statute barred, abuse of court process, lack of locus and estoppel per judicata, the court upheld the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.

Osun Defender learnt that the Plaintiff had sought a declaration that the nomination of the Sen. Ademola Adeleke as the candidate of the PDP is unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever regard because of the false information and/or declaration contained in FORM C.F. 001 submitted to INEC contrary to the requisite Constitutional and Electoral Law provisions. Subsequently, the court disqualified Sen. Adeleke from contesting the Osun State Governorship Election for not complying with the mandatory provisions of Section 177(d) of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended) and Section 31(5) & (6) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as Amended).

The Court also restrained INEC from recognizing and or giving effect to Sen. Adeleke’s nomination as the candidate of the PDP to contest the Governorship Election scheduled to take place on the 22nd September, 2018.

Osun Defender had reported in the past, how Sen. Adeleke lied on acquiring a degree and certificate. According to his profile on the National Assembly website, Adeleke has a Diploma in Criminology from Jacksonville State University (JSU) in the United States and graduated in 1986. However, authorities of Jacksonville University in Alabama, United States have confirmed that although Adeleke enrolled for a programme in the school, he did not graduate.