Oyetola’s victory excites Raji, APC-PCC Southwest Youth Director
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Director, National Youth Mobilisation Southwest of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Hon. Kazeem Kolawole Raji has described the victory of the party’s governorship candidate in Osun Election Petition Tribunal, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola as nothing but victory for the country’s growing democracy.
In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Saturday, Hon Kazeem Raji disclosed that Oyetola’s victory over Gov Ademola Adeleke of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has further confirmed the confidence the people of Osun State reposed in APC administration which made them to go all out to vote for the party during last year July 16 governoship election.
It would be recalled that The Election Petition’s Tribunal hearing Adegboyega Oyetola’s petition against the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Ademola Adeleke on Friday, upturned the result of the July 16, 2022 Osun governorship poll which was declared in favour of the PDP governoship candidate.
Justice Tertsea Kume, while delivering a majority decision, declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission did not comply substantially with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He subsequently deducted the over-voting observed from the votes scored by the candidates and declared that Gov. Oyetola won the election, having polled 314, 921, while Adeleke’s score came down to 290, 266.
Raji said “Undoubtedly, this victory is a victory for democracy and a true manifestation of Osun people’s political wish as freely expressed in the July 16, 2022 gubernatorial election which to a large extent reflected the absolute confidence of the people in the good work of Governor Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola.
”Of course, we have been confident all along that the injustice meted out to Osun people with the declared result of the July 16, 2022 governorship election will be overturned by a competent court of law as there were glaring irregularities, infringements and abnormalities in the conduct and final computation of the election results”.
The APC-PCC National Youth Director is of strong confidence that the declarative judgement of the tribunal will be upheld by the Appeal Court and subsequently by the Supreme Court as the rulling was premised on sound and profound legal grounds.
‘Let no one be in doubt that this landmark judgement will be upheld by higher competent courts as the basis was of strong legal footings without sentiment, fear or favour. I hereby commend members of the tribunal for doing a wonderful job despite the alleged pressure on them to do otherwise’.
‘It is instructive to state here that the revelations at the tribunal were pointers to the fact that the electorates still have a lot to do in safeguarding their votes despite the huge measures being taken by INEC through ICT to protect such’.
‘The locusts of yesteryears in the PDP are still on the prowl looking for avenues of staging a comeback through the ignoble back doors. In this light, I hereby enjoin our teeming members to remain alert and steadfast in safeguarding the votes to ultimately usher in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria in the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election” the statement concluded.
