By Banji Ayoola
“We are going to appeal the judgment.”
With this reaction, the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, voiced its resolve to appeal the tribunal judgment which on Friday declared the People’s Democratic Party, PDP candidate Senator Ademola Adeleke winner of the September 22 governorship election in the state.
APC reacted through a statement by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, who said that the verdict would not stand superior legal scrutiny.
“We are going to appeal the judgment.,” he said.
However, the PDP in the state praised the judiciary on what it called a landmark judgment.
In his reaction, PDP Chairman in the state, Mr. Soji Adagunodo, said the victory was for the people of the state.
He said the judgment shows that “We still have men of impeccable character in the judiciary.
“Kudos to the Nigerian judiciary and this shows that we still have men of impeccable character in the judiciary.
“Truly, the judiciary is the last hope of common man.’’
Adagunodo said since the APC had decided to appeal the judgment, PDP would await the outcome at the appellate court.
The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja had on Friday declared Adeleke winner.
The three-member panel said during its ruling that the rerun election that held on Sept. 27, 2018, was illegal.
The tribunal, therefore, deducted the votes scored by the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, in the rerun after declaring the rerun illegal.
The tribunal said Adeleke won the election at the first ballot on September 22 and the rerun that INEC devised to reach a final conclusion a week later was illegal.
“The declaration of Oyetola is null and void,” the tribunal ruled in a majority decision with one member dissenting.l