Osun Residents Protest Tribunal Verdict
Residents of Osun state Wednesday trooped out in numbers in Osogbo, the state capital to protest the verdict of Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered in Abuja last week.
The protesters who were predominantly youths armed themselves with placards with various inscriptions and caused gridlock on major roads that include, Obafemi Awolowo way, Okefia, Alekuwodo, MDS roads among others.
Though the protest was peaceful, armed security personnel were seeing monitoring the protesters that carried placards with the following inscriptions: ” Oyetola remained our Governor”, We voted for Governor Oyetola “, We cannot be intimidated”, among others.
Speaking with newsmen, Yaya Ademola, General Secretary, Osun Concerned Citizens said the protest becomes imperative following what they described as lacuna in the ruling of Election Petition Tribunal which declared Senator Ademola Adeleke of PDP the authentic winner of the Sep 22, 2018, gubernatorial election.
Ademola who expressed optimism that the Court of Appeal would definitely overturn the judgment delivered by the tribunal said Osun electorate have spoken through there majority votes, promising that any attempt to obstruct their votes shall be vehemently resisted.
His words : “The said verdict, which is a split decision by which a majority of 2 of the 3 members Panel, purportedly declared Mr. Ademola Adeleke of the People Democratic Party as winner of the September, 22 and 29, 2018 Governorship Election is clearly unacceptable to us and the overwhelming majority of the people of Osun in general and the Electorate in particular.
“We are concerned and indeed alarmed that rather than adjudicate in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Electoral Act that emphasises Substantial Compliance or lack of it or want of it as the basis for proving the validity or otherwise of the election of a candidate, the majority decision of the Tribunal arbitrarily pitched its tent with the formal irregularity of the failure of INEC to fill certain columns of the Result Sheets even when they do not affect the number of votes scored by candidates! This amounts to a disingenuous working to a predetermined answer.
“Under Civil Rule, Electorate votes determine who governs the State and it is by simple majority. Election Tribunal cannot substitute itself for the electorate role – vis-a-vis voting.
“Osun Concerned Citizens stand for Democracy and Justice. We firmly believe that the Electorate in Osun had spoken and the attempt by the majority decision to turn the Tribunal into a ‘’Selectotate’’ shall be resisted.
Recalled that the opposition party on Tuesday raised alarm over alleged attempt by the ruling party to blackmail the judiciary through orchestrated protests amongst others.
