Appeal Court Verdict Spurs Adeleke to Boost Accord Mobilisation in Osun

The Accord Party's candidate for the Osun State governorship election, Ademola Adeleke, has called on party members and supporters to intensify their outreach at the grassroots level. This directive follows a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal that upheld the party's legal status.

In a statement released on his X account on Tuesday, Adeleke hailed the court's decision as a triumph for both democratic principles and the rule of law. He implored his supporters to maintain their focus on the upcoming governorship election scheduled for August 15. The judgment, according to Adeleke, solidified Accord's position as a “strong, lawful and fully prepared” entity for the polls.

He stated, “Again, Accord is victorious — democracy and the rule of law have prevailed. I congratulate every member and supporter of our great Accord family as the Court of Appeal has affirmed what we have always known, our party remains strong, lawful and fully prepared for the August 15 governorship election.”

Adeleke also extended his gratitude to supporters for their unwavering resolve, particularly in the face of what he described as deliberate efforts to sow confusion and fear around the party. “I thank you for your steadfastness despite every attempt to create confusion and fear. Now, let us put this distraction behind us and return our full focus to the people,” he added.

The Accord Party chieftain urged all party leaders, youth, women, and other loyalists to ramp up mobilisation efforts across all polling units, wards, and communities. He emphasized, “I urge every leader, youth, woman and supporter to intensify grassroots mobilisation across every polling unit, ward and community. Together, we will secure an even more convincing victory and continue the good work of building a better Osun.”

Earlier, PUNCH Online had reported that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, rendered null and void a Federal High Court judgment. This previous judgment had instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.

A three-member panel of the appellate court, presided over by Justice Abba Mohammed, determined that the Federal High Court's judgment of June 15 was invalid because the trial court lacked the necessary jurisdiction to hear the case. The court further ruled that the lawsuit which led to the deregistration order was fundamentally flawed, having been initiated by an entity without legal standing.

The appellate court concluded that there was no legitimate legal basis for the directive compelling INEC to deregister the affected parties. It also criticized the lower court for failing to adequately consider evidence presented, including records indicating that some of the implicated political parties had indeed secured elective positions in past elections. Furthermore, the Court of Appeal highlighted that the Federal High Court proceeded with the case despite an existing order to halt proceedings pending the outcome of an interlocutory appeal.