Despite Friday’s Supreme Court verdict affirming the victory of All Progressives Congress’ candidate in last year’s governorship election in Osun State , Mr Gboyega Oyetola, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, insisted that its candidate, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, won the disputed poll.
Also, PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said that the judgement is not the end of the road for Adeleke, considering the
“love, acceptance and endorsement that the people of Osun bestowed on both Senator Adeleke and the PDP.” during the general elections.
His words: “I urge the nation’s judiciary to take a pulse of the nation and reflect it. In their hands, God has placed a great responsibility. The duty to ensure that justice is done, irrespective of the pressure to do otherwise, by the powers that be.”
He said: “The Supreme Court has ruled and because of its judicial finality, the legal case is over. However, the love, acceptance and endorsement that the people of Osun bestowed on both Senator Adeleke and the Peoples Democratic Party is not over and cannot be overlooked.”
Reacting to the verdict, PDP said the Supreme Court’s judgement being based on a technicality proves Adeleke won the election, not Oyetola.
It expressed shock over the ruling in a statement signed by the its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan.
Adeleke and the PDP had filed an appeal against the result and won at the tribunal. However, Oyetola had the tribunal’s ruling overturned at the Court of Appeal, prompting Adeleke and the PDP to file an appeal at the Supreme Court.
In its ruling early on Friday, July 5, 2019, a majority of five judges in the seven-member panel of the Supreme Court affirmed Oyetola as the winner of the election based on a technicality in the tribunal ruling.
However, the party said the fact that the judgement was based on a technicality and not on the case it was able to prove means that the apex court agrees that its candidate won.
The party said: “Our study of the judgment however shows that the Supreme Court did not negate the position of the PDP and millions of Nigerians that our candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke won the election, but based its verdict on reservations over issues of technicalities arising at the election petition tribunal.
“Nevertheless, our party stands with overwhelming majority of Nigerians on that undeniable fact that the people of Osun State, by the votes cast at the poll, preferred Senator Adeleke as their governor.”
The PDP urged the people of Osun State to remain calm and not lose hope in the nation’s democratic process.
On his own, Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President, said that Adeleke would bounce back, adding that the Supreme Court judgement cannot stop him.
He promised to continue to support Adeleke in his future political aspirations, as he urged the judiciary to remain conscious that it has responsibilities bestowed on it by God.
He said though the Supreme Court may have declared in favour of Oyetola, that cannot be said to be the end of Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The former vice president who is also challenging the election of President Buhari, said he and other Nigerians would continue to stand with Adeleke and the people of Osun in good times and in difficult days.
His words: “Those who think this is the end of the road for Senator Adeleke and the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun, are greatly mistaken.
“This is not the end. Not even the beginning of the end. No. Today marks the continued ascendancy of Senator Adeleke and his party in the hearts and minds of his people.”
He said the people of the state had expected that the progress and development that the Adeleke family had consistently brought to Osun would be translated to their governance.
“That hope is not dead. Only delayed.” He also assured the people of Osun State that the PDP remembers their love and acceptance and would never forget to stand by them no matter the situation.
On its own, PDP South West chapter in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Ayo Fadaka, said: “Today the long journey to get justice in respect of the last Gubernatorial election finally got to its terminal with the Supreme Court judgment which is said to be anchored on the technicality of the absence of Justice Obiorah at the sittings of February 6th.
“The Party and our candidate have no further choice than to abide with this ruling compulsorily. We will however remember that we were robbed in that election, the result of which President Muhammadu Buhari himself confirmed as being “remote controlled” thus giving credence to the popular view that the election was rigged.
“We however congratulate our candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, his family and entire Party members in Osun State for pursuing their rights to the very end.
“Posterity will however judge as history has taken good notice of all those who played sinister role in Buhari’s “remote controlled” victory of APC in Osun State.”
Meanwhile, APC National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu said that the Supreme Court verdict on Osun vindicates judiciary as unbiased, independent and impartial..
He gave the commendation in a statement entitled “Supreme Court Verdict on Osun: Testimony that Judiciary is on Course,” on Friday in Lagos.
He said that the judgment which reaffirmed Oyetola’s victory of was a testimony that the judiciary was firmly on course and worked in sync with the peoples’ aspiration.
According to him, in despite intimidation, unnecessary accusations and rumour-mongering, the apex court lived to its billing by dispensing justice without fear or favour.
His words: “The court did not rule based on any hearsay but acted on the basis of the merits and demerits of the case before it.
“The Supreme Court and the Judiciary, therefore, deserve our commendation for it has further strengthened the democratic process.
He also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for discharging itself creditably on the Osun election.
“On the issue of the Electoral Act, it is only the INEC, as the electoral body, that can apply the law appropriately with respect to elections. “This, the commission did rightly,’’ he said.
He said that the verdict of the apex court laid to rest the tussle over the Osun governorship and removed all encumbrances on the path of the governor.
“Now, governance can begin in full swing and the people of Osun can begin to reap the fruits of the government they voted to put in place.
“I congratulate Gov. Oyetola for his steadfastness and for remaining calm while the electoral case lasted.
“The All Progressives Congress must be commended for standing firmly behind the governor. I also commend the government and people of Osun in allowing the rule of law to run its entire course.
“I urge them to continue to assist the security agencies in maintaining and sustaining the peace,’’ he said.
Tinubu urged Oyetola to be magnanimous in victory by extending his hands of fellowship to the Peoples Democratic Party and continue to unite the people.
“PDP and its candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, have exercised and exhausted their rights as expected of them. I praise them for their doggedness.
“It is now time to rally round and join hands with the government to move Osun to the Next Level,’’ Tinubu said.F
Also, APC Osun State chapter on Friday, while reacting to the verdict, said the “The Progressive God that Osun people serve heard their prayers and granted their request.”
A statement signed by Barr. Kunle Oyatomi, the spokesperson for the party, said “God has used the highest legal authority of the land to proclaim the truth that Oyetola lawfully won. And that is historic.
“Our fears for the calamity that might have befallen the state of Osun, if the PDP had been declared winner, have now been assuaged.”
Also, Rauf Aregbesola, the immediate past governor of Osun State, on Friday, said that the promise of the Lord for the state has been manifested via the Supreme Court ruling on the last governorship election in the state.
The Supreme Court declared Governor Gboyega Oyetola as the winner of the election.
Quoting a tweet, announcing the decision of the Supreme Court, Aregbesola wrote in Yoruba language, “Ilerioluwa ti se l’Osun” which literally means, “The Promise of God has manifested in Osun.”
