The Osun chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the indiscriminate act of brigandage exhibited by political hoodlums suspected to be loyal to Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the governorship election petition tribunal upturned Adeleke’s victory.
The party in a statement signed by its acting Chairman in the State, Tajudeen Lawal also described the destruction of the campaign billboards and posters of the opposition candidates as wicked, primitive and callous.
The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had on Friday, January 27, 2023, sacked Governor Adeleke in favour of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola as the authentic winner of the July 16, 2022, gubernatorial election in the State.
There were reported pockets of violence perpetrated by armed thugs in Osogbo metropolis on Friday immediately after the delivery of the tribunal judgement which nullified the electoral victory of Ademola Adeleke.
DAILY POST reports that the thugs who were well armed with dangerous weapons went berserk in Osogbo, destroying the billboards and posters of the APC senatorial candidate for the Osun Central Senatorial District, Senator Ajibola Bashir.
Reacting, Lawal urged Adeleke to call the militia arm of his party and government to order so as to prevent the total breakdown of law and order.
“There could not be any justification for the PDP to be promoting thuggery with a view to unleashing avoidable violence on the members of the opposition and their property.
“I task the leadership of the State police command and other statutory security agencies in the State not to look away while the political hoodlums terrorise the innocent people of the State.
“The sacked Governor Adeleke has an option to appeal the tribunal judgement instead of resorting to self-help from the hoodlums who lack the capacity to influence the tribunal judgement that has been delivered in favour of our candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.
“If the sacked Governor Adeleke truly has genuine interest in allowing peace to reign in Osun State, he should put on his thinking cap and beat a retreat from his love for violence as such could only lead to an irredeemable perdition,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Governor, Adeleke in a statewide broadcast on Saturday, restated his rejection of the Tribunal judgement and affirmed that he has directed his counsels to appeal to a higher court.
While observing the discrepancies in the judgement of the Tribunal Chairman, Governor Adeleke described the outcome as a miscarriage of justice.
“My good people of Osun State, we have all heard the split judgement of the governorship election tribunal. Two members of the Tribunal delivered two opposing judgments, the Chairman and the member one. The member 2, did not deliver any judgment, she abstained.
“The Chairman’s judgment affirmed the claim of over-voting, while the Member One’s judgment agreed with our position as captured by the BVAS machines which is the primary source of accreditation data of true accreditation on the day of the Election.
“The reality of my election as the Governor of Osun State is captured in the member one’s judgement. The claim of over-voting in the Chairman’s judgment was unfounded. This was clearly a miscarriage of Justice. Based on the above, there was no majority judgment,” he stated.
Adeleke, who restated his confidence in the judiciary, called on the people to remain calm and go about their business and insisted that he remained the governor of the State.
