Tribunal Judgement: Osun APC, PDP clash over protests

The All Progressives Congress chapter in Osun State claims that protests by some residents of the state against the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal to remove Senator Ademola Adeleke as governor were sponsored.

The party went on to say that instead of helping their case at the Appeal Court, the protests that Adeleke and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, reportedly funded could hurt it.

But in response, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, acting chairman of the Osun PDP, claimed that the demonstration was proof that the public disagreed with the panel’s decision.

Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, the acting chairman of the Osun APC, expressed concern that the PDP opted to target the judiciary because the tribunal’s decision did not go in its favor in a statement that was acquired in Osogbo on Sunday.
“I must plainly declare here that it is still within the ambit of your fundamental human right to approach the Court of Appeal for remedy instead of financing violent protests in select places throughout the state,” it said.

The real election results of the July 16, 2022 governorship election have plainly indicated that the PDP candidate has no mandate to flaunt, much less make claims about, and according to the Friday’s tribunal judgment, it is totally illegal for Adeleke to be talking about any mandate.

It should be understood that the occurrence of overvoting, which served as the foundation for the INEC’s claimed declaration of Adeleke the winner as proved by the tribunal, is nothing more than unfair behavior that, if allowed unchecked, might create a very negative precedent for our democracy.

Adekunle responded to the APC allegation by saying that the demonstrations were evidence that the Osun people disapproved of the “Buga verdict.”

“The Governor Adeleke support demonstration was a spontaneous and direct backlash against an attempt to swindle a popular mandate. Our people came out in force and rejected the kangaroo verdict.

“Nobody praised the unfair decision. Osun residents in towns and villages willingly rejected a group of armed electoral robbers.

So, we anticipate APC to be irate. They’re dissatisfied because they don’t have the public’s support, Adekunle remarked.