The Court of Appeal in Abuja has begun hearing an appeal filed by Mr Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against a tribunal decision that invalidated his election as Governor of Osun State.
The three-member panel of justices on Monday began sitting in the appeal at about 10am.
Adeleke is the appellant, while Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are the first and second respondents in the CA/AK/EPT/GOV/01/2023.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are also named as third and fourth respondents, respectively.
In a suit filed by Oyetola of the APC, the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal ruled in January that Adeleke of the PDP had been declared the winner of the July 16, 2022 election.
The panel led by Justice Terste Kume, in its judgment, invalidated the election and declared Mr Gboyega Oyetola of APC as the valid winner of the poll.
The tribunal directed INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Adeleke and his deputy, Kola Adewusi, both of whom had been sworn in.
It, however, directed that the certificate of return should instead be issued to Oyetola.
Ademola Adeleke, however, on Monday began the battle to reverse his sack by the Osun governorship election Tribunal at the Court of Appeal.