The Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has said that the immediate past governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, has not congratulated him after his victory at the Appeal Court.
Adeleke who said he was open to working with the former governor said he had yet to hear from Oyetola.
The governor said this when he featured on Arise TV Morning Show on Monday.
“Immediately after the news of the Appeal Court (judgement), I tried to reach out, I called him – the former Governor Oyetola – to let us forge ahead to move Osun forward, but up till now, he has not called me to congratulate me and I’m still hoping that he will do that because we don’t have any other state than Osun State here. So, I’m ready, my hands are open, let’s come together and move Osun State forward,” Adeleke said.
When asked what he would like to say to Oyetola, Adeleke made a U-turn on reaching out to Oyetola, saying he never called the former governor.
“Well let me correct it, I did not say I put a call to him, what I said is I’m still expecting him to call me so that he can congratulate me, and if he wants to do otherwise and go ahead to the Supreme Court, he has the right to do that,” the governor said.
He reiterated that he would like to work with Oyetola.
The governor also said he was not afraid of the Supreme Court, saying he had his people and God on his side.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, last Friday, set aside the tribunal judgment that nullified the election of Adeleke as governor of the state.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal, held that the appeal lodged by Adeleke to challenge his sack by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was meritorious.
The court also awarded a sum of N500,000 as a cost against the All Progressive Congress and its candidate, Oyetola.
During the ruling, the justice resolved that the preponderance of proof that there was over-voting in the elections rested on the petitioner.
The court also maintained that “the party alleging non-compliance with the electoral act must prove its case without merely relying on the weakness of the other party.”
Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Shaibu overruled the judgment of the governorship election tribunal that nullified the outcome of the July governorship polls.
The three-man panel revoked the tribunal’s order which directed that a Certificate of Return be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to his predecessor and All Progressives Congress candidate, Oyetola.
The Court of Appeal set aside the tribunal judgement, affirming Adeleke as the authentic winner and governor of Osun State.
(Punch)
