A public commentator has warned that alleged discrepancies in names submitted by the Osun State Governor- Elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke might cost him his hard earned victory at the governorship election on Saturday, July 16,2022.
Akin Adeyi also known as Akoni Oodua Kapoo said latching onto the differences in names on academic certificates and other documents deposed to by Adeleke by the defeated candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his party, could be worrisome in the pending legal battle.
Recall that the differences in Adeleke’s names as observed and pointed out in the petition / appeal is one of the premises his challengers is standing to upturn the election of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Adeyi pointed out that the name on West African School Certificate (WASC) statement of result of the Governor – Elect in 1981 is Ademola Adeleke while the same secondary school testimonial indicated he was Ademola Adeleke N.
“He was said to have presented himself as Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke in the affidavit he deposed to while filing forms of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while contesting in 2019 for same position in which he lost t to Oyetola.
“Adeleke’s permanent voters card (PVC) has the name Adeleke Ademola Jackson but in the PDP Nomination Form 003 S/00811 dated 15th December,2021, he claimed to be Adeleke Ademola Jackson Nurudeen while his PDP Membership Card No. 8782063 Adeleke Ademola N.
“In the Osun State Government Tax Payment receipt foryears 2020 and 2021,he bears Adeleke Jackson Ademola.
He went further to say that an affidavit by Ayodele Akande Adeleke on 14th June,2016, stated that Ademola Jackson Adeleke, Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke and Ademola Ifeanyi Adeleke is one person.
Making reference to the petition before the Osun State governorship tribunal, he said the name Ademola Jackson Adeleke is on the certificate issued on 16th July, 2021 by the Pen Foster High School, Nigeria’s equivalent of secondary school certificate which was prerequisite for his admission into Atlanta Metropolitan State College where he studied and obtained Bsc in Criminal Justice.
While the certificate for a B.Sc degree issued by the Atlanta Metropolitan State College on the 9th day of August, 2021bears Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke.
Upon return to Nigeria after his studies, he got an exception certificate from participating in the one year compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service scheme dated 21st October,2021 on which was written Adeleke Ademola Jackson but in a letter he wrote to the NYSC seeking correction of institutions name, the name Ademola J.N. Adeleke prominently
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Putting the circumstance of Adeleke’s multiple registration into historical perspective, he said ” a Nigerian Senate president was removed before for a lesser reason over whether his name was Evan or Evan(s)
“The most recent was in the case PDP & ORS. VS DEGI- EREMIENYO & ORS.(2020).
“Two years ago a governor- elect and his deputy were removed by the court at some hours before their swearing in ceremony as the governor and deputy for reason of discrepancies in the deputy governor- elect names.
“OSUN PDP is hereby advised to think and think deep then take a decisive bold step in this case”
Reacting, Malam Olawale Rasheed dismissed the worries as he said there is nothing to fear as those raising the allegations are just holding unto straw
Olawale in a chat with The Trumpet said “having multiple names is not an offence as long as all the names belong to the person.All the names belong to the Governor-elect and those names are as such because he has names from mother side which is Igbo, father side which Islamic and musical appellation which is Jackson.
“The problem arises if some of the names do not belong to the person holding the documents. What the law demands in such situation to avoid conflict and crisis is for the owner of the names to perform Deed Poll and Affidavits at the Supreme Court. Senator Adeleke did all these before the election and declare that he should henceforth be known as Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke.
“The four names are what he filled in his INEC forms and we have certified true copies of the Deed of Poll and the affidavits. So there is nothing in the so called multiples names allegations except holding unto straw.”
A legal practitioner, Abanika Muktar, Esq said the Governor – Elect is sufficiently okay to have used those names in the eyes of the law.
He said “the case of Senator Nurudeen Adeleke is totally different from the case of PDP & ORS v. DEJi l- Eremienyo & Ors In that unlike the Bayelsa State case, there are consistencies in the names adopted by the senator at various levels.
” For instance, if you look at all the names adopted you would notice that the name “Ademola Adeleke” appeared in all his documents .
“It is the position of the law of equity that equity imputes an intent to fulfil an obligation. What this means is that the near performance of an obligation is sufficient in law.”
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