Osogbo, the Osun State capital was on Monday morning locked down by jubilating crowd over the judgement of the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, which upheld the victory of Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
The crowd, mainly members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, with its sympathisers and other groups within the party stormed Osogbo metropolis with a long procession, which was led by Oyetola alongside members of his cabinet.
It should be recalled that Oyetola and APC had appealed the ruling of the election petition tribunal of March 22, 2019, which sacked the incumbent from office and declared Senator Ademola Adeleke, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the winner of September 22 poll.
Speaking on the sideline of the procession, the general secretary of a socio-cultural group within APC, Osun Concerned Citizens, Comrade Yaya Ademola lauded the judiciary for the ruling as he expressed confidence of another victory at the Supreme Court.
“You Will recall that we reacted with the mass but peaceful protest to the Jankara Verdict of the Osun 2018 Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal delivered on Friday 22nd March, 2019 with which a majority of 2 of the 3 member Panel declared Mr. Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the September 22nd, 2018 Governorship Election.
“Although, we are happy that we have been vindicated by the Court of Appeal of majority of four out of five Justices that the Tribunal ruled in favour of an unpopular candidate and party in Osun, we are not excited that we were unduly taken for a ride by the tribunal’s ruling.
“If the PDP goes ahead to contest the Appeal verdict at the Supreme Court, it shall meet its waterloo again and again as nothing can be built on nothing.
“We therefore enjoin Osun people to go about their normal duties as Governor Gboyega Oyetola drives us to the next level of continuity in Social and infrastructural Development”.
Meanwhile, Chairman of PDP in the state, Hon. Soji Adagunodo has said that the crux of the ruling was based on technicalities, promising to challenge the ruling in court.
“The judgement is based on technicalities which we will be addressed at the Supreme court.
“With the evidence we presented, we expected victory but that is democracy at work. We are approaching the Supreme court”.
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