On Friday, as the Election Petition Tribunal was about to issue its ruling, there was a significant deployment of security personnel at key locations throughout Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.
In the July 16 governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party won with the support of the Independent National Electoral Commission. The All Progressives Congress and the former governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, challenged the results.
APC and PDP secretariats in Osun State, as well as the state office for the APC presidential campaign in Osogbo, both had armed police officers on duty.
Students, personnel, and anyone with business along the route had to travel great distances to get to their destinations since the road leading to the Osun State High Court premises, where the panel will deliver the judgment, was blocked to traffic.
According to security sources who spoke to our correspondent, the panel decided to allow 25 representatives from each party into the building.
After they had been recognized, however, attorneys and journalists were permitted entry.
Justice Tetsea Kume had led the other two panelists into the courtroom as of the time of filing this report at 9:09am to start reading the decision.
