South West APC Congratulates Oyetola Over Appeal Court Victory
The All Progressives Congress (APC), South West chapter, has congratulated Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State on his election victory at the Appeal Court.
The Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal had few months ago invalidated Oyetola’s victory, declaring the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke, as the winner.
In the judgment of the Appeal Court on Thursday where the APC candidate filed an appeal, Oyetola was declared a winner by the majority judgement of three judges, upturning the lower tribunal’s majority decision.
APC’s spokesman in the South West, Oladapo Karounwi, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti said Oyetola deserved victory in an election considered free and fair by local and international observers that praised the Independent National Election Commission for conducting one of the best elections in Osun State during the last governorship election.
He also praised the Appeal Court judges for their meticulous consideration of Oyetola’s appeal, explaining that the verdict could not have gone other way considering the lapses in both the hearing of the petition at the lower tribunal and obvious weakness in the judgment declaring Adeleke the winner.
“We knew that a superior court of jurisdiction will nullify the lower tribunal’s judgement declaring Adeleke the winner when a judge that did not sit during the entire hearing was brought to deliver its judgment to give PDP’s candidate victory.
“Besides, we also knew that the Appeal Court will dismiss Adeleke’s victory when the lower tribunal took it upon itself to be deducting APC’s votes in disputed units, thus usurping the power of INEC in such exercise, which both the Appeal Court and Supreme Court had frowned at in various elections petitions.
“This judgment is a victory for democracy and rule of law and not the rule of men through which PDP had in the past illegally usurped the people’s mandates at gun-point in South West states, thus denying the people their right to elect their leaders,” Karounwi explained.
We are confident that the governor will live up to the expectations of Osun people who voted for him by delivering quality services that will enhance their living conditions.
Rt.Hon.KARONWI OLADAPO.
APC South West Zonal Publicity Secretary.
May 9, 2019