Appeal Court Judgment: ‘I Believe In The Integrity Of The Judiciary’ – Oyetola

The Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, has reacted to the Appeal Court Judgment that reinstated him as the winner of the September 22, 2018 governorship election.

Speaking to Channels Television in Osogbo, the state capital on Thursday, Oyetola was happy with the decision of the court.

“I believe in the judiciary of the people, the judiciary is the hope of the people,” he stated.

While hailing the outcome of the judgment, the governor maintained that he won the election.

“I thank the judiciary, I thank the people of the state for the solidarity, you can see people coming out to celebrate without being prompted.

“It shows I won the election squarely, it shows that APC is the most popular party in our state and the people believe that we are going to run a good government,” he said.

Promising to justify the people’s mandate, the governor stated: “I rededicate myself to the service of the people.”

While reacting to the PDP’s statement saying it will go to the Supreme Court, he said, ” We are ready for them, facts are sacred.

“Facts are the same, whether, at the Appeal Court or Supreme Court, we are ready for them, let them go there we will meet them all”

Governor Oyetola who ran under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC),  polled 255,505 votes against his closest opponent, Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 255,023 votes in last year’s poll.

The APC candidate had trailed the Senator by 353 votes before going into a supplementary election which held in seven polling units in the state on September 27.

READ ALSO: Osun Election: Adeleke Challenges Oyetola’s Victory, Asks Tribunal To Declare Him Governor

Following the results of the election, Senator Adeleke, however, challenged the Governor Oyetola’s victory at the Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo, thereby asking the tribunal to declare him as the winner of the poll because he polled the highest number of lawful votes cast and met other requirements of the law.

The Election Tribunal on March 22, 2019,  declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke, as the winner of the poll which led to Governor Oyetola also challenging the verdict by the tribunal at the Appeal Court.