The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun has described the judgment delivered on Thursday by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja which upheld the election of Gov. Gboyega Oyetola as “ a shock”.
The chairman of the PDP in the state, Mr Soji Adagunodo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Osogbo that the party would be heading to the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment.
“It is a shock that the judgment is like that but that is democracy at play.
“ Considering the evidence we presented, we expected the judgment to be in our favour.
“We are heading to the Supreme Court. The judgment is based on technicalities and we will work on that at the Supreme Court”, Adagunodo said.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun described the judgment as “a welcome development’.
Mr Kunle Oyatomi, the APC’s Publicity Secretary in the state, told NAN that it was a good thing that the appellate court had rewritten the wrong done by the election tribunal’s initial judgment.
“You will remember that the Court of Appeal’s judges said while delivering the judgment that the composition of the election tribunal’s panel was faulty and that is fundamental.
“It is as fundamental as jurisdiction in the common law.
“We thank God that the people’s mandate has actually paid off. We are not concerned about other things. Governance goes on.
“The people of the state will enjoy the good governance of Gov. Oyetola-led administration”, Oyatomi said.
Also a socio-political group, Osun Concerned Citizens, said that the judgment by the Court of Appeal was an affirmation of the people’s choice.
The General Secretary of the group, Mr Yaya Ademola, in a press statement said that the group was happy that the appellate court had vindicated the choice of the people of the state.
The group said that it joined others then in a peaceful protest to react to the `Jankara’ verdict of the Osun 2018 Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered on Friday, March 22, 2019.
It said that in the verdict two members of the panel had declared Sen. Ademola Adeleke of the PDP as the winner of the September 2018 governorship election.
“We are happy that we have been vindicated by the Court of Appeal’s judgment where four out of its five judges delivered judgment in favour of the APC and Gov. Oyertola.
“If the PDP goes ahead to contest the judgment of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court, it shall meet its waterloo again and again as nothing can be built on nothing.
“Osun Concerned Citizens stands for democracy and justice.’’
The group said that the appellate court’s ruling of Thursday was a confirmation that the majority of Osun’s electorate voted for Mr Gbenga Oyetola as their governorship candidate during the governorship election.
The group advised the people of Osun to go about their normal duties.
It also assured them that Gov. Oyetola would continue to lead them to the next level in social and infrastructure development.
NAN observed that there was jubilation in Osogbo, the state capital, immediately the judgment was delivered by APC members.
NAN also reports that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal nullified the judgment of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The tribunal had in its verdict of Friday, March 22, 2019, declared the PDP and its candidate, Sen. Adeleke, the winner of the Sept. 22, 2018 polls.
However, Justice Jummai Sankey read the lead judgment of the Court of Appeal on Thursday. Justices Abubakar Yahaya, Isaiah Akeju and Bitrus Sanga agreed with the lead verdict.
A fifth member of the appellate court, Justice Ita Mbaba, disagreed and upheld the election tribunal’s verdict that gave victory to Adeleke.(NAN)